Remembering Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Mark, Who Were Targeted in Fatal Attack

With incidents of political violence on a steep rise in 2025, people are trying to keep track of exactly how many have been victims. Among those who were killed for their political beliefs are Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (Democrat) and her husband, Mark Hortman.

But what exactly happened to them? Here's what we know about the brutal and senseless killing that targeted the two and took both their lives and the life of their loving dog.

For most people, the idea of killing someone with whom you share political ideology differences is unfathomable. While we might all disagree, at times vehemently, the right to do so remains a foundational point of American politics. At least, it used to be.

A brutal killing in Minnesota has started to raise questions about just how free people are to practice their political beliefs before violence visits them.

Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa and her husband Mark were at their home in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14, 2025, when a gunman entered their home while posing as a police officer, according to ABC News. He killed Mark and Melissa, also turning his gun on the family dog, Gilbert. Gilbert survived initially but was later euthanized to end his suffering, per Huffpost.

Their murders followed the shooting of Minnesota Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife in their home nearby. Those two survived after devastating injuries.

After the Hoffmans were shot, police were visiting other high-ranking politicians in the area for proactive welfare checks when they encountered a person wearing fake police gear and a convincing latex mask exiting the Hortmans' house. They exchanged gunfire, and the suspect fled. They were able to recover a list of intended targets from his car, later catching the suspect whom officials named Vance Luther Boelter, a former private security professional.

While it seems obvious that the two shootings were politically motivated, responses to the Hortmans' assassination and the shootings of the Hoffmans were stuttered.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz came out swinging, calling the shootings "politically-motivated assassinations," according to ABC.

But elsewhere, the outrage and demands for accountability and answers weren't quite as vehement. President Donald Trump issued a statement via Truth Social, writing that it "appears to be a targeted attack against State Lawmakers" and saying this sort of violence "will not be tolerated."

However, he did not order the White House flag lowered to half mast, in contrast with his orders on Sept. 10, 2025 (via Fox News), to lower the flags in response to the killing of political activist Charlie Kirk.

The difference in outrage was palpable.

While those who knew and loved the Hortmans will never forget that day, many online have suggested that the world too-quickly moved on from what was a brutal and clearly targeted political assassination. This, some claim, means that the world is becoming too numb to violence and the idea that political beliefs are justification for murder. In the comments of one YouTube video, one commenter noted, "It's up to us to keep her legacy and memory alive. And to fight for peace and justice since our GOP isn't."

In a statement to media following the murder of their parents, Melissa and Mark's children released a statement thanking police for their actions in bringing the assassin to justice, calling their parents the "bright lights at the center of our lives."

While the public outrage and outcry over their deaths may have faded, the urgency in finding a way to address and end political violence as a response to differences is increasing as the days go by.