The Twin Cities are reeling from a harrowing episode of violence that saw the assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. The Raleigh native and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate was killed alongside his political figure wife in their Brooklyn Park home, as reported by ABC11. Mark's Tar Heel state connections ran deep, with a past that included academic stints at UNC and NC State, as well as his birthplace, Raleigh.
In a separate, yet simultaneously coordinated attack, another Minnesota legislator, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his spouse, Yvette, sustained injuries in their home, a mere fifteen minutes drive away. After a six-year tenure as House speaker, we witnessed Melissa Hortman's leadership during a contentious political stalemate, when Democrats, led by Hortman, boycotted House sessions earlier last year to thwart Republican majority rule, as noted by CBS17. These events raise the specter of the violence being politically motivated, with deep implications for the state's political fabric.
Authorities are currently pursuing Vance Boelter, identified as the suspect in these shootings; he has been described as a man in his late 50s, masquerading as a police officer during the attacks. Governor Tim Walz called the horrendous event "a politically motivated assassination," elevating the gravity of the situation, which has led to an extensive law enforcement mobilization across the Minneapolis suburbs in search of Boelter. The FBI has further incentivized the manhunt with a reward up to $50,000, as WRAL reported.
Shocked and disbelief, the Minnesota House DFL Caucus released a statement expressing their devastation: "We are shocked and devastated at the shootings of our colleagues, and at the assassination of our Speaker, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark. This is an unspeakable act of political violence that should never happen in the United States of America." The caucus also remarked on the personal loss, saying, "Melissa and Mark were dear friends to many and 'this caucus will miss her and Mark greatly.'" Mark Hortman, who reached 58 years of age, is survived by him and Melissa's two children, as per ABC11 report.
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