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The children of late Minnesota state Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman (D), who was fatally shot over the weekend along with her husband Mark, acknowledged the death of their parents in a statement Monday.
“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone,” Sophie and Colin Hortman wrote.
“Their love for us was boundless,” they added. “We miss them so much.”
The Hortmans and state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife Yvette were the victims of a shooting on Saturday by a man impersonating a law enforcement officer. The Hoffmans were rushed to the hospital and after surgeries are expected to survive.
The case is being investigated as “politically motived.” The FBI and Justice Department are leading a probe into the violent incident.
Vance Boelter, the suspected gunman, was apprehended Sunday and indicted in the state on stalking and murder charges. He was also hit with a federal murder charge earlier this week.
A list of other potential targets was also found in Boelter’s car, including lawmakers and other top officials.
“Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents,” the Hortman children wrote. “We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.”
“Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them,” they added in the statement.
Hortman worked alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) during his tenure in the State Legislature. The two were elected officials for the North Star State’s Farmer Labor Party.
Walz has condemned the attacker for targeting Democratic lawmakers amid a partisan divide nationwide. Others, from both sides of the aisle, have also weighed in on the tragedy.
Hortman’s children said they best way for her legacy to live on is for people to unite.
“Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer,” they wrote. “Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect.”
“The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else,” the duo wrote.
