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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
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. Vancleave and Golden write for the Associated Press. Golden reported from Seattle. AP writer Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘True model of humility': hundreds pay tribute to victims of Minnesota killings
Hundreds gathered at the Minnesota capitol on Wednesday night to honor state Democratic representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed at their home on Saturday night in what authorities have described as a 'political assassination'. Some mourners reportedly brought flowers to place in front of this memorial, while others held candles. Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor, grew teary at the vigil, and consoled attendees, as a brass band from the Minnesota Orchestra performed, according to the Associated Press. Colin Hortman, Melissa and Mark's son, hugged Walz and placed a photograph of his parents on their memorial. This is the first of several public vigils planned to memorialize the Hortmans before their funeral, MPR reported. The vigil also featured a string quartet, as well as a Native American drum circle. Attendees sang Amazing Grace together. Mourners, standing 'shoulder to shoulder', also brought 'flags, handwritten notes and other mementos to Hortman'. A large blanket, laid out on the ground, allowed attendees to pen messages, per MPR. One message reported by MPR said: 'Melissa was a true model of humility. She didn't do this work to boost her own ego, further her political career or garner fame and glory. She did it to improve people's lives.' The vigil's organizers told attendees not to bring signs and decided not to have speaking program. Walz said that Hortman should lie in state at Minnesota's capitol, MPR said. The Hortmans' suspected killer, Vance Boelter, also stands accused of attempted murder for shooting state senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in nearby Champlin. Boelter, 57, faces state and federal charges for the fatal shootings. The Hoffmans are recovering from their injuries. Authorities said that Boelter, who allegedly had a list of targets including other Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates, traveled to two other legislators homes that evening – with plans to assassinate them. Attendees, some of whom knew the Hortmans personally or through her work, came from diverse political backgrounds. As Zack Stephenson, who co-chairs a state house budget committee, prepared to honor Hortman several hours before the vigil, he described their friendship. Stephenson said that he met Melissa Hortman when he was 18, volunteering on her campaign. He worked closely with Hortman in the state house and described her as a mentor. 'She was a leader who was not afraid to invest in other leaders. It didn't threaten her,' Stephenson told the Guardian. Hortman prioritized kindness in her work and told fellow Democrats in 2023 that they shouldn't confuse kindness for weakness. They could be strong leaders and still be respectful and kind, Stephenson recalled her saying. 'No one worked harder than her,' Stephenson said. 'Those kind of timeless values of, be kind to people, work hard, care about the institution more than partisan politics, those things really matter. People saw that.' Lynne Billing, of St Paul, Minnesota, told MPR she knew Melissa Hortman 'was special and I knew she really cared about people'. 'It's just a huge, huge loss and I'm just here to say I'm going to miss her,' Billing said. While remembrances for the Hortmans have come from people of all political stripes, Donald Trump said he will not call Walz, adding that calling would 'waste time', AP said. Trump, in ruling out a call to Walz, described Minnesota's governor as 'slick' and 'whacked out'. 'I could call him and say: 'Hi, how you doing?'' Trump reportedly said. 'The guy doesn't have a clue. He's a, he's a mess.' Walz's office said that the governor hoped Trump 'would be a President for all Americans'. US presidents routinely contact governors, as well as other state and local officials, after tragedies. 'This tragedy isn't about Trump or Walz,' Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for the governor, said. 'It's about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, and the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal.' Walz did speak with JD Vance as well as former president Joe Biden and former vice-president Kamala Harris, AP said. Rachel Leingang contributed reporting
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather to remember prominent Minnesota lawmaker and husband slain in their home
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — 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.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Vigil held to remember Minnesota politician and husband shot dead at 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. 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'. 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. 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. 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. '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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds gather to remember slain Minnesota lawmaker and her husband
ST. PAUL, Minnesota — 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. Walz has described Hortman as his closest political ally and 'the most consequential Speaker in state history.' Wednesday's vigil also included a Native American drum circle, a string quartet and the crowd singing 'Amazing Grace.' The memorial, which sprang up outside the Capitol after the killings, features flowers, American flags, photos of Hortman 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.' 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 have a speaking program planned 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. 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.
