Gunman Posing as Cop Kills Minnesota Lawmaker and Her Husband

A chilling act of political violence unfolded in Minnesota on Friday night, leaving a former House speaker and her husband dead and another state lawmaker and his wife wounded. 

AP News reported that authorities say the shooter, who remains at large, posed as a law enforcement officer to carry out the attack.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz identified the victims as Melissa Hortman, the former Democratic House speaker, and her husband. At a press conference Saturday, Walz called the killings a politically motivated assassination and urged the public to stand united against extremism.

"We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence," Walz said. "Those responsible for this will be held accountable."

The wounded survivor was state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, who has represented a district north of Minneapolis since 2012. He and his wife were both hospitalized, and their current condition has not been released. Authorities say autopsies have confirmed Hortman and her husband died from gunshot wounds.

The suspect, according to Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, was impersonating a police officer. He wore what appeared to be a law enforcement uniform, gaining the trust of his victims before opening fire.

"Suspect exploited the trust of our uniforms, what our uniforms are meant to represent," said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Johnson. "That betrayal is deeply disturbing to those of us who wear the badge with honor and responsibility."

The attack comes during a period of heightened political division in the U.S., where threats and violence targeting public officials have become alarmingly frequent. The shooting has drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum, as well as from national figures like former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a targeted shooting in 2011.

"I am horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants," Giffords said in a statement. "An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself."

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are actively searching for the suspect and have not released a motive beyond the political nature of the attack.

Related: Judge Makes Decision After Latest Sean 'Diddy' Combs Request