Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota lawmaker who was gunned down in what is described as a politically motivated attack, earned degrees at Boston University and Harvard.

Melissa Hortman’ s influence at the Minnesota Capitol and her power as a Democratic leader to shape the course of a deeply divided Legislature were a far cry from her job as a teenager making chili-cheese burritos and overshadowed her volunteer work training service dogs for veterans.

Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, State Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses were all shot early Saturday in targeted attacks.

Raleigh native Mark Hortman and wife, lawmaker Melissa Hortman, were fatally shot in a suspected political attack in Minnesota.

A manhunt is underway for the gunman who was impersonating a police officer and had a list of possible targets, officials said.

But there was a caring, apolitical gracefulness as well to Hortman, colleagues said. Garofalo said that in the days after the 2022 elections, when Democrats took control of state

Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, were shot and killed early Saturday morning in “what appears to be a politically-motivated assassination,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference Saturday.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman and State Sen. John Hoffman, who were targeted by a shooter on Saturday, were longtime members of Minnesota's state legislature.