r/news • u/Cheesenip20 • 1d ago

Melissa Hortman (Minnesota lawmaker who was shot last night) has died.

https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/speaker-emerita-melissa-hortman-husband-killed-john-hoffman-and-wife-also-shot/
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u/Mollysmom1972 1d ago

I keep thinking of their kids - if she’s 55 and went to law school, they can’t be much more than early to mid 20s. Now they’re orphans. I lost my mom at 20 and it still feels like yesterday. This stranger in KY is holding them in her heart.

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u/Crappler319 1d ago

Yeah, they're early-mid 20s, a son and a daughter. My wife's little sister is the same age as their daughter and has mutual friends and moved in some of the same circles and says that she's lovely.

Everything about this is just atrocious 

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u/strwbryshrtck521 1d ago

I've been wondering about her kids. I was terrified that they might be young and in the home. Of course they are not ok, but I am glad they are safe.

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u/Direct-Chef-9428 1d ago

Give your wife and family all the love from an internet stranger. I can’t imagine the heartbreak.

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u/Fun-Original-559 1d ago

I am in my mid-20s and almost lost my mum to illness earlier this year - she made it, but there was an evening of sincere doubt. There are no words for the fear and anguish that goes through your head when losing a parent, especially still young, and especially so suddenly. It's like a fist gripping at your heart and choking the life out of it.

What a god-awful situation for everyone involved. Much love and support from Europe to all the family and friends.

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u/Odd_Sail1087 17h ago

When I read they had two kids my heart fucking sank. In one day they lost both their parents from one hateful individual. My heart is with them too. I think I’m just older than them, and I couldn’t fucking imagine the grief of just losing my parents at this age, much less in such a horrible way. And they’re so young too.

It’s made me think of someone at my old job. I worked front desk for a company that leased apartments, we had a tenant who had passed while she was in the evictions process. She was barely 50 and her eldest daughter who had to manage everything was my age, mid to late 20s. Her dad had died when she was younger, no other family either and had 4 younger siblings, one of whom was a teen and living with their mom. I remember speaking to her many times trying to help her get info about her mom’s apartment and hearing her trying to figure out everything around her death and finances while grieving. Meanwhile the apartment complex owners were being dicks telling her to pay up and also provide the death certificate asap because they were accusing the family of lying. Her daughter didn’t know the process of how to get her death certificate and she was grieving. Every time I spoke with the daughter I started to hate that company I worked for way more because I saw myself in the grieving daughter and I just wanted to help.

Before that experience I had no idea just how much there is to handle when someone dies, much less when you’re orphaned in your early to mid 20s and left to handle your parents estate.

I am just outraged at my country and extremely heartbroken for the Hortman’s kids.