State and federal lawmakers from Rhode Island offered condolences and calls to action in the wake of a pair of shootings that killed one Minnesota state lawmaker Saturday, and injured another.
Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday in their Brooklyn Park home. Hortman was Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 through the end of the 2024 legislative session, leading the push for universal free lunches in the state’s public schools, legalization of recreational cannabis, and expanded gun safety laws.
A second state lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot multiple times and injured in their Champlin home. The Hoffmans were in a stable condition after being rushed to the hospital, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday’s shootings were part of what appears to be a “politically motivated assassination,” according to news reports.
Gov. Dan McKee expressed sympathy in a social media post Saturday afternoon.
“Our hearts break for Minnesota today,” McKee posted on X. “Political violence is a threat to democracy — it has no place in our country.”
Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said in a statement he was “heartbroken” by the death of Hortman, whom he knew from attending national conferences. The two had dinner last December, Shekarchi said.
He described Hortman as a warm, kind, and intelligent lawmaker who cared deeply for her state.
“There is no place for senseless violence in our political system,” Shekarchi said.
Senate President Valarie Lawson also posed the tragedy as a call to action. “In the United States, we settle our differences at the ballot box, and we share a common commitment to peace, justice, and the rule of law,” Lawson said in a statement. “No one should have to worry that their willingness to enter public service has made them a target.”
Rhode Island Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Beretta-Perik singled out President Donald Trump, who she urged to call for a “more civil discourse.”
“There is a sad inevitability about this tragedy in a time marked by elevated rhetoric and vitriol,” Beretta-Perik said in a statement. “Our political culture must change.”
Members of Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation also shared public sympathies on social media.
U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo posted on X that he was saddened to hear of Hortman’s assassination, along with the attempt on the Hoffmans. He called on all Americans to denounce politically motivated violence, which he said endangers the nation’s democracy and public servants.
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner said he was monitoring the targeted shootings, which he called “horrific.”
“As Homeland Security Ranking Member for Counterterrorism, I will ask for a full briefing once the facts are known, and urge everyone to remain calm this weekend,” he posted on X.
Authorities suspect 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the shooter, according to news reports. He remained at large as of Saturday afternoon.
This article was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
