South Dakota’s top legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle are offering a unified message of condolence and solidarity following deadly attacks on Minnesota state lawmakers that authorities say were politically motivated.
In a rare joint statement issued Sunday, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the South Dakota Legislature said they were “heartbroken” over what Minnesota authorities are calling a politically motivated act of violence.
“We stand together to strongly condemn this attack, which has deeply shaken the Minnesota Legislature,” read the statement signed by House Speaker Jon Hansen, Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, House Minority Leader Erin Healy, and Senate Minority Leader Liz Larson.
Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state legislator, and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot Saturday morning in their home in Brooklyn Park. According to law enforcement and statements from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the gunman posed as a police officer and targeted the couple in what Walz described as “a politically motivated assassination.”
Roughly nine miles away in Champlin, state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot and remain hospitalized with critical injuries, officials said Saturday afternoon.
South Dakota legislative leaders expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and called for national reflection.
“Our deepest condolences go out to their loved ones, colleagues, and the people of Minnesota,” the statement read. “In this moment of grief, we also pray for peace, compassion, and a renewed commitment to civility in Minnesota and across our country.”
The Trust Project
