Democrat and former mayor Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered at home; Suspect is on the run
The former president of the Chamber of Minnesota, deputy (Democrat), and her husband, Mark Hortman, were killed at dawn on Saturday (14.jun.2025) in Champlin, United States, by a man who was characterized as a police officer. He managed to escape after the attack.
The governor stated that the case was a murder with political motivation. In his in X (former Twitter), Walz wrote that the US is not “A country that solves its differences at the armed hand.”
Hortman worked in the Chamber of Minnesota Representatives for two decades and led the Legislative House from 2019 to 2025. She was a defender of the police reform after George Floyd’s death, contributing to the implementation of the state ban on the use of police strangulation techniques.
Police chief Mark Bruley said the suspect was driving a SUV vehicle similar to a police car, equipped with blue lights. “The suspect also wore ‘badge and police uniform'”disse Bruley. “No doubt, if they were in this room, you would say you were a policeman”he said in an interview with journalists.
When the police arrived at Hortman’s house, the suspect opened fire on the agents, who retaliated. The shooter retreated and fled.
The shooter’s identity remains unknown. Minnesota Police Superintendent Drew Evans said police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are “Actively engaged in a hunt” to the responsible for the attacks.
Governor Walz recommended that the population avoid participating in political rallies until the suspect’s capture. “For excessive caution, my public security department is recommending that people do not participate in any political rally today in Minnesota until the suspect is detained.”wrote in X.
The President of the United States, (Republican Party), also spoke out: “I was informed about the terrible shooting in Minnesota and seems to be an attack directed against state legislators. Such horrible violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly amazing place!”
