Flood of tributes for Minnesota Democrat killed in ‘targeted violence’

Governor Tim Walz calls Melissa Hortman, former state speaker shot dead with husband Mark, dearest of friends'

Colleagues of Melissa Hortman paid tribute to Melissa Hortman, the top Democratic lawmaker in the Minnesota state house of representatives who was killed on Saturday, with Governor Tim Walz saying the state lost a dear leader and I lost the dearest of friends".

Hortman was killed along with her husband, Mark, in what Democratic colleagues in the state described as an act of targeted political violence". Fellow lawmaker Josh Hoffman and his wife were also shot, reportedly by the same gunman, and are expected to survive.