Minneapolis: Authorities in the US state of Minnesota announced the killing of a Democratic state legislator and her husband, and the wounding of a senator and his wife in two separate attacks described as politically motivated. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said that Democratic Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed Saturday morning in an attack he described as a “political assassination.” He noted that Senator John Huffman and his wife were also shot multiple times in a separate attack and underwent surgery, amid cautious optimism that they would survive.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the governor emphasized that the attacks represented an act of “targeted political violence,” calling for peaceful dialogue as a means of resolving differences, emphasizing that “violence has no place in American democracy.”

Law enforcement authorities reported that the gunman was dressed as a law enforcement officer and impersonated a police officer during the attack. He managed to escape after an exchange of gunfire with police who responded to the scene. A large-scale manhunt has been launched to apprehend the suspect.

Representative Melissa Hortman has been one of the state’s most prominent Democratic leaders since her election in 2004, while Senator John Huffman is a member of the Senate. Since 2012, he has also worked in consulting and political positions within Minnesota’s largest constituency, North Minneapolis.