According to interim US Attorney General Todd Blanche, a man has been sentenced to multiple life sentences for fatally shooting US politicians in the state of Minnesota.
July 23, 2026, 10:06 p.mJuly 23, 2026, 10:06 p.m
The man must serve two consecutive life sentences and an additional 40-year prison sentence, US President Donald Trump’s former lawyer said on X. “This murderer will spend the rest of his life behind bars for his heinous acts of violence against public officials and their families,” he continued.
Mark and Melissa Hortman were shot.Image: keystone
According to media reports, the 59-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, stalking and weapons law violations after the public prosecutor no longer wanted to seek the death penalty. This was reported by the Washington Post and the New York Times, among others.
In June 2025, the convict shot and killed Democratic Representative Melissa Hortman, a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband Mark in the couple’s home in Brooklyn Park. In another attack in nearby Champlin, a Democratic state Senate politician, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were gunned down and seriously injured. According to earlier reports, the senator was on the road to recovery.
The attacker was taken into custody after an extensive chase. According to previous police reports, drones, 20 special operations teams – so-called SWAT teams – and air units were used in the pursuit into a forest. (sda/dpa)