Joe Biden and Kamala Harris attended the funeral of slain Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris attended the funeral of slain Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman in Minneapolis. This tragic event drew significant national attention, as it not only commemorated Hortman's contributions to her community but also highlighted the ongoing issues surrounding gun violence in America . The attendance of high-profile leaders underscored the gravity of her loss and the impact she had on legislative processes within the state.

Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home on June 14. Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, were also shot at their nearby home the same day. The Hoffmans survived the encounter.

Hortman, 55, her husband and their golden retriever, who was also killed in the attack, lay in state at the Minnesota Capitol rotunda on Friday. Hortman was the first woman to receive the honor at the state’s capitol building, drawing thousands of mourners.

Walz, who was Harris’s running mate in the 2024 White House election won by Donald Trump, added: “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.”

Neither Biden nor Harris spoke, but they sat in the front row with Walz. Biden was also one of more than 7,500 people who paid their respects on Friday as Hortman, her husband and their golden retriever, Gilbert, lay in state in the Minnesota capitol rotunda in St Paul. Gilbert was seriously wounded in the attack and had to be euthanized. Biden also visited the wounded senator in a hospital.

Volunteers from a nonprofit that trains service dogs, Helping Paws Inc., provided a little canine therapy for waiting mourners Friday at the Capitol, working the crowd with cheerful golden retrievers. The Hortmans provided a foster home to dogs as part of the animals’ Helping Paws training, and one of them, Minnie, had graduated on to assisting a veteran.

Helping Paws said in a Facebook post hours after the shootings that Gilbert “career changed.” Gilbert had been deemed ”too friendly” to be a service dog, KARE-TV reported.

During the ceremony, Governor Tim Walz delivered a poignant eulogy that celebrated Hortman's dedication to public service and her role as a trailblazer for future generations of lawmakers . The solemn atmosphere was exacerbated by the recent violent attack that claimed both Hortman and her husband’s lives. The suspected shooter, Vance Boelter, is currently in custody, raising questions about safety and security for public officials . This incident serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by those in positions of power.

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Sara H

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