Elected officials and everyday Minnesotans streamed into the white-domed State Capitol on Friday to pay their respects to State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were fatally shot at their suburban Minneapolis home this month.
At one point, a line of mourners stretched around the block outside the Capitol in St. Paul as people slowly passed through the rotunda to mourn the Hortmans, who were lying in state in wooden caskets adorned with floral arrangements. An urn for their dog, Gilbert, who was also killed in the attack, was displayed alongside photographs.
The authorities have described the killing of Ms. Hortman, a Democrat who previously served as speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, as an assassination. The suspect in the couple’s deaths appeared briefly in federal court on Friday.
At the Capitol, Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen were the first to approach the caskets. Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul wiped tears from his eyes as he passed. Lisa Demuth, the Republican speaker of the State House, was also among the first to pay respects. Dozens of Capitol workers stopped by, some crying or exchanging hugs on the building’s steps as they left.
Nearby, inside the House chamber, a picture of Ms. Hortman was displayed on her desk alongside a vase holding flowers.
As mourners lined up outside the building, some carried bouquets or were accompanied by their dogs. Hours after the procession started, hundreds of people remained in line.
Anna Richey, a former Capitol staff member, said she had crossed paths with Ms. Hortman frequently.
“She was as real as she was tough as she was empathetic,” Ms. Richey said.
Outside, Faith Mainor said, “I’d like to see some scaling back of the dialogue that led to this.” And Amy Schulte held flowers and a dog toy that she planned to leave in the rotunda as a tribute to the Hortmans.
“I just felt like it was just a senseless death, just violent, indescribable,” said Ms. Schulte, a Minneapolis resident.
Mike Starr arrived hours before the Capitol doors opened. He said he had met Ms. Hortman years ago when he was running for office, and felt it was important to honor her.
The shootings, he said, had left him with a series of questions: “Why? What for? How come?”
Mitch Smith is a Chicago-based national correspondent for The Times, covering the Midwest and Great Plains.
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