US politician Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark have been killed in a politically motivated assassination, according to a state governor.
A second state politician, Senator John Hoffman, and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded in the “targeted” attack near Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on Saturday, said governor Tim Walz.
Authorities are searching for an assailant who officials say was impersonating a police officer and shot at officers as they arrived at one of the politicians’ homes.
“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” said Mr Walz on Saturday.
“Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”
US president Donald Trump said he has been briefed on the “terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers”. He said an investigation is underway and prosecutions will follow.
He said: “Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!”
Ms Hortman, a lawyer by training and a legislator for 20 years, was the top House Democratic leader in the state legislature and a former House speaker. She was first elected in 2004 and has two children, according to her state legislative biography page.
Mr Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012 and runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm.
He previously served as vice-chairman of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Mr Hoffman is married and has one daughter.
Mr Hoffman and Ms Hortman represented districts located north of Minneapolis.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the bureau of criminal apprehension, said that authorities were searching for a suspect.
Postmortems will be carried out to determine the extent of injuries, but Ms Hortman and her spouse died from gunshot wounds, said Mr Evans.
Public safety commissioner Bob Johnson said the suspect was posing as a police officer.
He said: “Suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent. That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honour and responsibility.”
The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions.
Giffords, the national gun violence prevention organisation led by former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released a statement saying: “Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.”
“I am horrified and heartbroken by last night’s attack on two patriotic public servants,” said Ms Giffords.
“My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself.
Ms Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others.
The attacks have been widely condemned by US politicians.
Former US president Joe Biden said the “heinous attack motivated by politics should never happen in America”.
“We must give hate and extremism no safe harbor and we must all unite against political violence as a nation,” he said.
Kamala Harris, former vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, said she is “devastated by the loss of Ms Hortman and her husband Mark in a ”horrifying act of violence".
“Melissa Hortman was an outstanding public servant. She passed legislation that enshrined freedoms and increased opportunity for the people of Minnesota. I saw her impact firsthand when I was with her in Minnesota and will remember her compassion, humor, and sense of service,” Ms Harris said.
Democratic US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the “ghastly targeted shootings” are “not just horrific- they’re acts of political extremism and an assault on our democracy itself”.
“This is where hate and violent rhetoric lead,” he said.
Republican US House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson said: “Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it.” – Associated Press/ Reuters
