Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D) and her husband, Mark, will lie in state at the Minnesota Capitol on Friday for public viewing after they were assassinated in their home during a “politically motivated” attack earlier this month.
Hortman will become the first woman and one of 20 Minnesotans to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda prior to burial. Their golden retriever, Gilbert, who was euthanized due to gunshot wounds, will rest alongside them.
“She built bridges across the aisle and she kept her diverse caucus together to usher through some of the most consequential legislation in our state’s history,” Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.) said of Hortman, as reported by The Associated Press.
Those interested in paying their respects to the three will be allowed in the state Capitol from noon to 5 p.m. Friday.
Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday with limited in-person space. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will livestream the proceedings on its YouTube channel.
The Hortmans’ death sparked concerns for lawmakers across the country as the gunman, Vance Boelter, had a list of multiple Democratic targets.
Boelter shot state Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, on June 14 and also visited the homes of state Sen. Ann Rest (D) and state Rep. Kristin Bahner (D), according to federal prosecutors.
