A tragic political assassination has rocked Minnesota after Rep. Melissa Hortman, former speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband were gunned down in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday morning in what authorities are calling a “politically motivated assassination.”

Hortman had dinner with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar just hours before the deadly ambush. Klobuchar, a Democrat, told Politico she was notified of the killing at 5 a.m. by Democrat Governor Tim Walz.

“I wish everyone had known her like we knew her,” Klobuchar said. “I was there when she was doorknocking in the beginning. … I was in county office and she was seeking the legislative office. She was pretty no-nonsense. But in a kind way, with a lot of humor.”

The alleged assassin, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, reportedly impersonated a law enforcement officer to carry out the attack. Boelter, a former appointee to a state board by Gov. Walz, left behind a chilling manifesto naming more than 70 public officials, including Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and several members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation.

Authorities say Boelter was also responsible for a separate shooting that left State Senator John Hoffman and his wife injured the same night. Both survived.

Boelter was arrested Sunday night following a two-day manhunt. According to reports, flyers marked with the slogan “No Kings” — a phrase often associated with anti-Trump anarchist groups — were discovered in his vehicle. Notably, “No Kings” demonstrations were staged across the country on Saturday, targeting President Donald J. Trump.

“After a two-day manhunt and two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter,” Governor Walz said at a press briefing.

Klobuchar, who served as Hennepin County Attorney during Hortman’s early years in public office, reflected on her late colleague’s background. She recalled Hortman juggling legislative duties with teaching Sunday school and leading a Girl Scout troop while raising two children — traits Klobuchar said made her “a really good job managing legislators.”

One anecdote described by Klobuchar involved Hortman removing the mute button her predecessor used to silence fellow lawmakers. “She’s like ‘I don’t need that. I can use the gavel,’” Klobuchar said, praising her as “a skilled legislator at bringing people together.”

Despite the tragic loss, Klobuchar urged Americans not to be discouraged from public service. “I hope good people still run or our democracy won’t stand,” she told Politico. On CNN’s State of the Union, she added, “This has gotten totally out of hand,” citing a surge in threats against elected officials — from 1,700 in 2016 to over 9,000 last year.

Following the assassination, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for enhanced security for both Senator Klobuchar and fellow Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith. “I asked Capitol Police—as I did earlier this week for Senator Padilla—to immediately increase security for both senators,” Schumer said Saturday.

Schumer’s reference to Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) comes after the controversial moment last week when Padilla rushed a DHS press event held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles. Security personnel detained Padilla, who was shouting aggressively and failed to identify himself until later.

Supporters of the DHS response note that, in the wake of rising left-wing violence — including the brutal murders of Rep. Hortman and her husband, as well as the attempted assassination of Sen. Hoffman — law enforcement agencies are justified in taking zero chances.

President Donald Trump has not yet commented publicly on the killings, but administration officials have acknowledged a growing concern over the resurgence of radical domestic threats — particularly those tied to leftist and anarchist ideologies targeting public officials and federal agents.