Biden and Harris attend slain Minnesota lawmaker’s funeral

Former President and Vice President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were on hand for the funeral of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, two weeks after she, her husband, Mark, and their dog were fatally shot at their home.

Harris joined Biden for Saturday’s funeral, invited by Gov. Tim Walz on behalf of the Hortmans’ grown children, Sophie and Colin Hortman, according to CBS News. About 1,500 people attended the private funeral at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, which was also livestreamed.

“Melissa Hortman will be remembered as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history. I get to remember her as a close friend, a mentor, and the most talented legislator I have ever known,” Walz said in his eulogy. ”For seven years, I have had the privilege of signing her agenda into law. I know millions of Minnesotans get to live their lives better because she and Mark chose public service and politics.”

Trump did not issue a comment about the assassinations or the funeral, and his schedule indicated he was playing golf. He has condemned the violence but did not call Walz after the shooting.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who could not attend due to the budget bill looming before the Senate, issued a statement.

“Today we lay to rest two incredible Minnesotans who we lost too soon,” she said. “I join the state and the country in honoring our beloved friends Melissa and Mark Hortman. In speaking with their children Sophie and Colin yesterday at the Minnesota Capitol, I know that Melissa and Mark’s legacy of goodness and service to others is in the best of hands.

A day earlier, Biden had paid his respects as the Hortmans and Gilbert, their golden retriever, lay in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda. Biden, whose visit was unannounced, was the most senior politician to pay tribute, The Daily Beast reported.

He was one of more than 7,500 mourners, including members of the public who arrived ahead of the 10 a.m. starting time Friday and lined up for blocks. They remembered Melissa Hortman for her humanity as well as her willingness to negotiate bipartisan solutions to complex problems, and her skill as a bridge builder between those with opposing viewpoints.

Hortman was the first woman to ever lie in state at the Capitol and just one of fewer than 20 people overall, and Gilbert was the first nonhuman on record to do so. Gilbert was badly wounded in the attack and had to be put down.

On Friday, Biden walked slowly toward the dual coffins that flanked an urn containing Gilbert’s ashes, gazing for a long moment at the tableau before getting down on one knee in tribute. He stood up and made the sign of the cross before leaving.

The Hortmans were killed in the early hours of June 14, when alleged gunman Vance Boelter, 57, showed up at their suburban Minneapolis home disguised as a police officer and forced his way in. About 90 minutes earlier, he had done the same at the home of State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, shooting him nine times and her eight times. Both survived and are recovering, though they “face a long road ahead” in healing from both “physical injuries and emotional trauma,” the family said in a statement Sunday.

Biden also visited the Hoffmans and their daughter Hope, who had been with her parents at the time and was able to call 911 after locking the door against the shooter.

The Hoffmans were not well enough to attend the funeral, but watched the livestream.

“It was heartbreakingly beautiful,” they said afterward. “Our hearts are with the Hortman family in this time of immense grief.”

Boelter faces several state and federal murder and attempted murder charges, as well as other crimes. At his second federal hearing, on Friday morning, Boelter’s detention and preliminary hearing was rescheduled to Wednesday after his legal team requested a continuance, CBS News reported.

With News Wire Services