Washington legislators condemn political violence following Minnesota shooting

OLYMPIA – The Republican and Democratic leaders of the Washington House and Senate released a joint statement Sunday condemning political violence following the assassination and attempted assassination of two Minnesota legislators.

“We are Americans before we are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents and as Americans, we need to continue to stand for truth, decency, democracy, and freedom,” the joint statement reads. “As political leaders of our caucuses, we stand together to condemn all violence that threatens the safety of Washingtonians.”

The statement follows two early -morning shootings on Saturday in the suburbs of Minneapolis in what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said was a “politically motivated assassination.” According to authorities, a gunman shot and killed former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

“Our state lost a great leader, and I lost the dearest of friends,” Walz said during a Saturday morning news conference. “Speaker Hortman was someone who served the people of Minnesota with grace, compassion, humor and a sense of service. She was a formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.”

As of Sunday morning, both John and Yvette Hoffman were awake and recovering in a hospital in Minnesota.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and we are sending wishes for a complete recovery to Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette,” the statement reads.

The statement was attributed to Democratic Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, Republican House Minority Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and Republican Senate Minority Leader John Braun.

Late Sunday, the New York Times reported that the suspected gunman, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, who allegedly impersonated a police officer during the shooting, was captured about an hour’s drive west of Minneapolis following a manhunt. While law enforcement has not identified a motive in the case, authorities said they retrieved several pieces of evidence from the suspect’s car. The evidence reportedly included a list of other potential targets including Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

The list also included the names of abortion providers and pro-choice activists.

“We stand with state and local law enforcement in Minnesota as they pursue the person responsible for this act of violence,” the statement reads. “While we don’t yet know his exact motivations, there is no doubt that this kind of political violence stokes panic and distrust in our system of democracy. We must stand united against it, no matter our party allegiance or personal beliefs.”