Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ordered all United States and Minnesota flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings effective immediately, following what officials are calling the "politically motivated" shootings of DFL Rep.

The recent shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers have left the community shaken, sparking urgent talks about enhancing safety measures at the Capitol amid rising threats to officials.

Melissa Hortman’ s influence at the Minnesota Capitol and her power as a Democratic leader to shape the course of a deeply divided Legislature were a far cry from her job as a teenager making chili-cheese burritos and overshadowed her volunteer work training service dogs for veterans.

But there was a caring, apolitical gracefulness as well to Hortman, colleagues said. Garofalo said that in the days after the 2022 elections, when Democrats took control of state