Sunday marks one year since a gunman fatally shot former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, in their home and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.
Across the state, groups are marking the date that shocked the state and the nation. Groups and organizations will hold memorial ceremonies honoring the Hortmans.
Here are ways that Minnesotans can honor their memory.
St. Paul commemorates Hortman family
The St. Paul City Council voted on Wednesday to honor the Hortmans, including their dog, Gilbert, with a proclamation declaring June 14, 2026, as Mark, Melissa and Gilbert Hortman Day.
The Council voted unanimously on the resolution after several state lawmakers and city government leaders shared memories about working with the late House speaker emerita. St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who previously served in the Legislature with Hortman, said she lifted up newer members of the Legislature and those from communities who’d historically been underrepresented.
Her said she took many cues in leadership from what she learned from Hortman.
“We see the policy work that was done, and what a consequential leader she was. But the truth is, is that much of what was done was behind the scenes, and the structures that were dismantled, because she was willing to have courage to do things differently,” Her said.
MPR News to host special shows Thursday
MPR News guest host Catharine Richert will host a one-hour call in show 9 a.m. Thursday to talk about the rise of political violence and where we go from here. Listeners are invited to connect and share their perspectives.
And at noon, join host Nina Moini for a special hour of Minnesota Now discussing how the Hortmans are being remembered, steps taken in the Legislature to prevent future violent events and how an organization that trained the Hortmans’ dog, Gilbert, who was also killed in the shooting, is working with a new generation of service dogs.
Listen to a playlist of songs they enjoyed
Colin and Sophie Hortman worked with The Current last summer to produce a playlist of songs their parents especially enjoyed and shared the memories they invoked. Check out the special here.
Local food workers union hosting cake, bread bake
In keeping with some of the guidance that Colin and Sophie Hortman shared last year following their parents’ killings, United Food and Commercial Workers Union 1189 will host a remembrance event complete with baked goods in St. Paul.
The union invites people to bake a cake or a bread to share and will feature some brief remarks about Mark and Melissa Hortman.
The event is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the UFCW Hall, 266 Hartman Ave., in South St. Paul.
Light a candle Sunday night
State Sen. John Hoffman and Yvette Hoffman, who survived assassination attempts at their home last year, are encouraging Minnesotans to light a candle outside their homes on Sunday to remember the Hortmans.
“At dusk, light a candle and place it on your doorstep as a remembrance to innocent lives taken by political violence,” the senator wrote in a social media post.
Monday Mass at the Hortmans’ church
The Church of St. Timothy, where Melissa Hortman taught Sunday school and attended services growing up, will focus its 9 a.m. Monday Mass on the Hortmans. The public is invited to attend. The Church of St. Timothy is at 707 89th Ave., in Blaine.
