NEED TO KNOW
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris held hands while attending the funeral service of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman
- Melissa and Mark, who were killed on June 14, were laid to rest in Minneapolis on June 28
- The former president and vice president were joined at the funeral by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris shared an emotional moment while attending the funeral service of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman.
On Saturday, June 28, Biden, 82, and Harris, 60, sat in the front row at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. They were joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
During an emotional moment at the service, the former president and vice president held hands as they stood to recite “The Lord’s Prayer” alongside other attendees, as seen in a livestream of the event shared online by WCCO.
Harris was invited to the funeral by Walz, 61, on behalf of the Hortmans’ two children, daughter Sophie, 28, and son Colin, 30, CBS News reported.
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Melissa and Mark were shot and killed along with their dog Gilbert at their home in Stillwater, Minn., on June 14.
Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman were also shot at their home nine miles away on the same day. The pair both survived the shooting.
Vance Boelter has since been accused of the fatal shootings and has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
Fox 9 News reported that Biden visited John and Yvette at the Twin Cities hospital ahead of the funeral for the Hortmans.
During his eulogy at the funeral, Walz remembered Melissa “as the most consequential speaker in Minnesota history,” adding, “I get to remember her as a close friend, a mentor, and the most talented legislator I have ever known.”
Speaking of the tragedy overall, he continued, “All of us are searching for some kind of meaning, some kind of lesson that we can learn to help ease our loss.”
“And maybe it is this moment, where each of us can examine the way we work together, the way we talk about each other, the way we fight for things we care about,” added Walz. “A moment when each of us can recommit to engaging in politics and life the way Mark and Melissa did: fiercely, enthusiastically, heartily, but without ever losing sight of our common humanity.”
The funeral service for the Hortmans took place after the couple and their dog laid in state in the Minnesota State Capitol rotunda on Friday, June 27.
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