Latest news with #MarkHortman
CBS News
19 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Service dog training organization flooded with donations following fatal shooting of Rep. Melissa Hortman
Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, who were killed Saturday morning in what Gov. Tim Walz called a politically motivated attack, trained service dogs in their spare time with a working group called Helping Paws. The Hortmans ended up keeping the last dog they trained, Gilbert, after he flunked out because he was too friendly. Gilbert was shot multiple times by the man who is accused of killing the Hortmans. He was injured so severely that the Hortmans' adult children had to put him to sleep. Rep. Melissa Hortman with a golden retriever. Helping Paws, Inc. Gilbert and the Hortmans' story has nearly 400,000 likes on the "We Rate Dogs" Instagram, and Helping Paws has been flooded with unsolicited donations. The organization reached out to the family and got a call back from the Hortman's adult children Sophie and Collin. "They gave us their blessing, and they said, This is what our mom would want, if something good to come out of this. And we love your organization so much, and Gilbert was such a big part of all of our lives for four years. And my mom would bless this. Our mom would bless this," said the Executive Director of Helping Paws Alyssa Golob. At a candlelight vigil for the Hortmans, Helping Paws dogs were out in full force. "A woman came up and said, 'You know, I made a donation to your organization,' and she's like, 'I just needed to put my rage somewhere'," said Golob. Golob says the organization usually gets 50-100 contributions a month. Since the tragedy they have gotten 5,700 individual donations in just days — so many they have not yet totaled the dollar amount. Helping Paws says it wants to work with the family to set up an appropriate memorial to Gilbert and the Hortmans.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman's Children Break Silence On Parents' Murder: 'We Are Devastated'
Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman's children are speaking out after their parents' shocking murder. The former state House Speaker and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot at their home on June 14, and their two kids, Sophie and Colin, broke their silence on the tragedy in a statement obtained by multiple outlets three days later. "We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much," the statement read. The pair went on to note that they are "both safe and with loved ones" and expressed gratitude for the "outpouring of love and support" they've received as they grieve. Sophie and Colin's remarks come after Governor Tim Walz condemned the Hortmans' deaths as a "politically motivated assassination." A two-day manhunt led police to arrest suspected gunman Vance Boelter, who has been charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder amid accusations he also allegedly stalked and shot Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, both of whom survived. Boelter has yet to enter a plea. Sophie and Colin went on to thank the law enforcement officers dedicated to the case, and encouraged those in their community and beyond to honor their parents' legacies through unity and compassion. "Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together," their statement continued. "Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Vigil held to remember Minnesota politician and husband shot dead at home
Hundreds of people gathered outside Minnesota's Capitol on Wednesday evening for a vigil to remember a prominent state lawmaker and her husband who were gunned down at their home. As a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra played, Governor Tim Walz wiped away tears and comforted attendees at the gathering for former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed early on Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Advertisement Colin Hortman, the Hortmans' son, embraced Mr Walz and laid a photo of his parents on a memorial. The memorial, which sprang up outside the Capitol after the killings, features flowers, American flags, photos and sticky notes with such messages as 'Thank you for always believing in me and in Minnesota' and 'We got this from here. Thank you for everything'. Colin Hortman (right) attends a candlelight vigil for his parents (Nikolas Liepins/AP/PA) The vigil also included a Native American drum circle, a string quartet and the crowd singing Amazing Grace. Around the gathering, there was a heavy police presence, with law enforcement blocking off streets leading up to the Capitol and state troopers standing guard. Advertisement The event did not include any speeches and attendees were instructed not to bring signs of any kind. Vance Boelter, the man charged in federal and state court with killing the Hortmans, is also accused of shooting another Democratic lawmaker, Senator John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home a few miles away in Champlin. They survived and are recovering. Boelter's attorneys have declined to comment on the charges. Mrs Hortman had served as the top House Democratic leader since 2017, and six years as speaker, starting in 2019. Advertisement Melissa Hortman was killed on Saturday (Nikolas Liepins/AP/PA) Under a power-sharing deal after the 2024 election left the House tied, her title became speaker emerita and Republican representative Lisa Demuth became speaker. Mr Walz has described her as his closest political ally and 'the most consequential speaker in state history'. The Hortmans were alumni of the University of Minnesota, which held a memorial gathering on the Minneapolis campus. Rebecca Cunningham, the university's president, spoke during the event about the grief and outrage people are grappling with along with questions about how things got to this point. Advertisement 'I don't have the answers to these questions but I know that finding answers starts with the coming together in community as we are today,' she said. Funeral information for the Hortmans has not yet been announced.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Hundreds gather to remember prominent Minnesota lawmaker and husband slain in their home
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of people, some clutching candles or carrying flowers to lay in front of a memorial, gathered outside Minnesota's Capitol on Wednesday evening for a vigil to remember a prominent state lawmaker and her husband who were gunned down at their home . As a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra played, Gov. Tim Walz wiped away tears and comforted attendees at the gathering for former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Colin Hortman, the Hortmans' son, embraced Walz and lay a photo of his parents on the memorial. The memorial, which sprang up outside the Capitol after the killings, features flowers, American flags, photos and sticky notes with such messages as, 'Thank you for always believing in me and in Minnesota' and 'We got this from here. Thank you for everything.' Wednesday's vigil also included a Native American drum circle, a string quartet and the crowd singing 'Amazing Grace.' Around the gathering, there was a heavy police presence, with law enforcement blocking off streets leading up to the Capitol and state troopers standing guard. The event didn't include a speaking program and attendees were instructed not to bring signs of any kind. The man charged in federal and state court with killing the Hortmans, Vance Boelter , is also accused of shooting another Democratic lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home a few miles away in Champlin. They survived and are recovering. Federal prosecutors have declined to speculate about a motive. Boelter's attorneys have declined to comment on the charges. Hortman had served as the top House Democratic leader since 2017, and six years as speaker, starting in 2019. Under a power-sharing deal after the 2024 election left the House tied, her title became speaker emerita and Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth became speaker. Walz has described Hortman as his closest political ally and 'the most consequential Speaker in state history.' The Hortmans were alumni of the University of Minnesota, which held a midday memorial gathering on the Minneapolis campus. Rebecca Cunningham, the university's president, spoke during the event about the grief and outrage people are grappling with along with questions about how things got to this point. 'I don't have the answers to these questions but I know that finding answers starts with the coming together in community as we are today,' she said. Funeral information for the Hortmans has not been announced. ___ Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Photos of candlelight vigil honoring slain Minnesota lawmaker and her husband
Hundreds gathered outside Minnesota's Capitol for a candlelight vigil honoring former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were fatally shot at their home. Governor Tim Walz, visibly moved, comforted mourners as the couple's son, Colin, placed a photo of his parents at a growing memorial filled with flowers, flags and heartfelt messages. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
