State, local reaction to Minnesota shootings

Gov. Mike DeWine issued the following statement Saturday regarding the shootings of Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. "Fran and I are horrified by the attacks on Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in their respective homes this morning," the governor said in a news release. "We are praying for their families and for law enforcement as they work to find and arrest the assailant. We condemn this terrible act of violence and send our sincere sympathies to the victims and their families." "Ellen and I praying for the victims in Minnesota and their families," Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said in a statement. "And we are keeping law enforcement and first responders in our thoughts as they work to apprehend and arrest the suspect." Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, and Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, also released statements. "I'm extremely saddened and horrified by this act of senseless violence and the loss of former Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and the attack on Sen. John Hoffman and his wife," Russo said. "I was lucky enough to get to know Melissa over the last several years during our time as legislative leaders. My thoughts are with the families, colleagues, and communities who have been impacted by this horrific act. Violence, of any kind, is never the answer, and it must be forcibly condemned by all of us." "We know that political violence of any kind must never be tolerated. Americans deserve better than the negative rhetoric being promoted by too many leaders, which sadly fans the flames of violence and can result in deadly action as we've seen occur today," Antonio said. "We must work together to help end this senseless violence. We owe it to Speaker Hortman, Sen. Hoffman, their families and so many others." "I am devastated by the unspeakable violence in Minnesota and am praying for the victims and their families. There is no place for political violence in our society. The Ohio Democratic Party stands in solidarity with the Minnesota community in the wake of this horrific attack," Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathleen Clyde said Saturday.