Democratic politician and her husband killed in Minnesota, senator and his wife injured
Former Minnesota House Speaker and Democratic politician Melissa Gortman and her husband were shot in a politically motivated killing, Gov. Tim Waltz said. A second lawmaker and his wife were wounded, Politico reported.
"We all, in Minnesota and across the country, must stand up against all forms of political violence. Those responsible will be held accountable," Waltz said during a press conference.
State Senator John Hoffman, a Democrat who was first elected to the position in 2012, was injured in the shooting.
The deceased Gortman was a leading Democratic leader in the state legislature and a former speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She first won election in 2004.
Both politicians represented districts located north of Minneapolis, the state's largest city.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation Director Drew Evans said authorities are actively searching for the suspect. Officials said the attacker was dressed as a law enforcement officer.
"The suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, that our uniforms are meant to represent. This betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility," said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Johnson.
Evans said an autopsy would be performed on Gortman and her husband to determine the extent of their injuries, but added that they died from gunshot wounds.
The shooting comes at a time when political leaders across the United States are being attacked, harassed, and intimidated in a period of "deep political divisions," Politico notes.
- Since June 6, large-scale protests and clashes with law enforcement have been ongoing in the second most populous city in the United States, Los Angeles, over brutal raids and deportations of illegal immigrants who have been living in the country for years. Trump deployed the National Guard to the city, and the governor of California and the mayor of Los Angeles spoke out against him (more on the situation here).