Nation Mourns Slain Minnesota Speaker Melissa Hortman at Funeral

Prominent political figures, including former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, gathered yesterday in Minneapolis to pay their respects at the funeral of slain Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. The couple was tragically killed on June 14 in what authorities are investigating as a politically motivated assassination.

The private service, held at the Basilica of St. Mary, drew national attention as leaders mourned Hortman, 55, who was the first woman to lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol rotunda. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered a eulogy, remembering the Hortmans as personal friends and calling Melissa “the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history.”

The somber ceremony also served as a powerful platform to decry rising political violence. Father Daniel Griffith, who led the proceedings, echoed sentiments of a nation in need of “deep healing,” lamenting Minnesota’s status as “Ground Zero place for political violence and extremism.”

The Hortmans’ deaths are linked to Vance Boelter, 57, who has pleaded not guilty to charges and was apprehended after a massive statewide manhunt. Authorities allege Boelter impersonated law enforcement to gain access to the Hortmans’ Brooklyn Park home, as well as the nearby residence of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, who survived their injuries. A notebook reportedly found with Boelter contained a “hit list” of other politicians, extending beyond Minnesota and targeting those supportive of abortion rights.

The incident has sparked widespread condemnation across the political spectrum, prompting calls for greater civility and a recommitment to shared humanity in public discourse.

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