A Democratic lawmaker from the U.S. state of Minnesota and her husband have been killed in a shooting. Another lawmaker and his wife were injured in the same incident.
On Saturday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and law enforcement officials said the attacker was disguised as a police officer during the assault.
Governor Walz believes this was a “politically motivated assassination.”
He told reporters that former Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis. According to the official website, the couple had two children.
Walz further added that before reaching the Hortmans’ residence, the shooter had fired multiple shots at Senator John Hoffman and his wife at their home in the city of Champlin. Both Hoffman and his wife have undergone surgery, said the governor.
Law enforcement agencies reported that a large-scale manhunt was underway with FBI assistance to capture the suspected shooter. After the shooting, the suspect fled on foot. A “manifesto” was found in the vehicle he abandoned, which contained a list of lawmakers and officials.
President Donald Trump stated that he had been briefed about the shooting. He believed it was a targeted attack against lawmakers.
“In the United States, such horrific violence will not be tolerated,” he said in a statement.
