Children of Melissa and Mark Hortman release statement

The children of Melissa and Mark Hortman spoke out on Monday for the first time following the murder of the lawmaker and her husband.

Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, 58, were shot and killed Saturday morning at their home in Brooklyn Park in what Gov. Tim Walz called a “politically motivated assassination.”

Sophie and Colin Hortman released the following statement on behalf of the Hortman family:

“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much.

We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve.

Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents’ home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad.

Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them.

If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following:

Plant a tree.

Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail.

Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do.

Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it.

Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone.

Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something.

Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace.

Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents’ memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”

A GoFundMe for Colin and Sophie was created on Sunday.

The fundraiser adds, “In the ensuing police response to capture the assassin, their [family] home, garage and cars were severely damaged in a hail of bullets, stun grenades and tear gas canisters.” The money raised will go toward Melissa and Mark’s funeral and to help Colin and Sophie repair the damage.

RELATED: ‘Kind and generous’: Minnesotans remember Mark Hortman, family dog killed in lawmaker shootings

Complete coverage of the assassinations, as well as coverage of the shooting of Sen. Hoffman and his wife, can be found HERE.
The post Children of Melissa and Mark Hortman release statement first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.