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CANNON FALLS, Minn. 鈥� Goodhue County farmers Danny and Mary Lundell had relatives living in Sweden reach out them about the pre-dawn shootings of Minnesota lawmakers. 

The couple broke down in tears when they learned that early Saturday morning, June 14, Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in their Brooklyn Park home, in the second of two reported shootings of state lawmakers that have been labeled 鈥渢argeted political violence.鈥�

Also shot Saturday were Sen. John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in Champlin. The Hoffmans are recovering from their injuries.

Late Sunday night, authorities arrested 57-year-old Vance Boelter, in addition to state charges.

The shootings happened just several hours after , saw Hortman in person at a Democratic fundraiser in downtown Minneapolis. 

Noah Fish / Agweek

Mary Lundell was waiting in line for the restroom at the annual Minnesota DFL鈥檚 Humphrey-Mondale Dinner on Friday 鈥� where Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and others spoke 鈥� when a nearby elevator opened. 

鈥淎nd here came Melissa,鈥� Lundell said of the Minnesota House member who served 11 terms. 鈥淚 got a chance to talk to her right there, give her a hug, thank her for all work she鈥檚 done.鈥�

Specifically, she thanked Hortman for her pragmatic leadership The DFL House caucus leader joined Republicans in the House to pass the bill, which rolled back a signature issue for Democrats in the 2023 legislative session, health care for undocumented people in the state. 

Hortman gave a press conference outside the Minnesota House afterward, saying she knew people would be hurt by the outcome but she had a job to get done for the people of Minnesota. 

The threat of a government shutdown forced her hand to cut a deal with Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and pass a final budget. It was a hard pill to swallow, Lundell imagined, and she wanted her to feel comfort in the sacrifice. 

鈥淚 told her, I know how hard that last vote was for you,鈥� Lundell said.

On Sunday evening, Lundell was still processing how it felt to open up to Hortman the last time she was seen publicly. It was still a few more hours before the accused killer to be placed under arrest by a team of federal, state and local law enforcement officers.

鈥淭oday was better, but yesterday was really kind of tough,鈥� Lundell said Sunday evening. 鈥淎ll I could think of was that like eight hours after I gave her a hug, she was gone. She was in her own home, and she was gunned down. It鈥檚 just unbelievable.鈥� 

Lundell finds solace in the fact that she had the opportunity to thank Hortman in their last interaction.  

鈥淭o see her and talk with her, yeah, but then to thank her. I actually thanked her. That's one I will always think about,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople have regrets about things they don鈥檛 say, and I鈥檓 just grateful that I thanked her when I had that opportunity to thank her.鈥�

Danny Lundell didn鈥檛 speak to Hortman at the dinner, but the image of her smiling and visiting with people within a few feet of him keeps going through his mind in the days following her killing. 

鈥淪he always carried that smile,鈥� he said. 

The Lundells only knew Hortman through her work as a Democratic legislator and by her interactions at various events where she showed a genuine concern for the needs of people across the state and not just from her district. 

鈥淪he cared about issues that are important for rural people, even if they don鈥檛 think of her that way because she was from a suburb,鈥� Mary Lundell said. 鈥淪he cares about health care so much because she cares genuinely about people and their issues.鈥�

Contributed / Office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

The Minnesota Milk Producers Association named Hortman as its 2019 Legislator of the Year, saying she was an integral part in securing the 2019 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing budget that included investing $8 million for the Dairy Assistance Investment, and Relief Initiative, as well as funding for mental health programming and high-speed broadband internet service in Minnesota鈥檚 rural communities.

Danny Lundell said what made Hortman special was her ability to navigate through conflict between opposing sides.

鈥淪he did not have an ego,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he makes me think back to Hubert H. Humphrey, who was known as the Happy Warrior.鈥�

Mary Lundell said Hortman鈥檚 approach to the democratic process reminded her of the tortoise and the hare. 

鈥淪he was slow and steady, very thoughtful and thought things through, and she could listen to people that didn鈥檛 agree with her, and work with them,鈥� she said. 鈥淢elissa was really good at listening to the other side and figuring out the little things that were in common.鈥�