Donald Trump reacts to Minnesota shootings: 'This horrific violence will not be tolerated'
Donald Trump said that the shooting appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers and added that this horrific violence will not be tolerated.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he has been briefed about the attack on two Democratic legislators and their partners in Minnesota.
Trump said that the shooting appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers.
"I have been briefed on the terrible shooting that took place in Minnesota, which appears to be a targeted attack against state lawmakers," Trump said in a statement, according to AFP.
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"Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America," he added.
What happened in Minnesota?
Two Democratic state legislators – state representative Melissa Hortman and State Senator John A. Hoffman – were attacked in their homes in what the Minnesota’s governor has described as a “politically motivated” shooting.
While Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark died in the attack, Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are alive and undergoing treatment.
According to ABC News, the lawmakers were targeted at their homes, about 8 miles away from each other in Champlin and Brooklyn Park, north of Minneapolis.
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The attacker is believed to have been impersonating a police officer, authorities have said, adding that a manhunt is underway to nab him.
“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said at a news conference. “Those responsible for this will be held accountable.”
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Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said that Hoffman and his wife were shot initially, while Hortman and her husband were shot approximately 90 minutes later, reported AFP.
According to Evans, the suspected gunman managed to flee amid an exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman's home.
