Governor Hochul ordered flags to be lowered to half-mast on Monday

Flags across New York state will be flown at half-staff on Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last weekend, in the Empire State's honor of the shooting deaths of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in Minnesota.

Flags in New York City will be lowered to half-staff on Monday, June 16, in mourning for the tragic death of Minnesota House Democratic Leader Melissa Hortman. Hortman and her husband Mark were killed in a politically motivated attack Friday night.

The gunman, posing as a police officer, first went to the home of state Sen. John Hoffman in a Minneapolis suburb, where he shot the politician and his wife. He then drove to the home of Hortman and her husband, also in the Minneapolis area, about nine miles from the first shooting.

A 57-year-old man suspected of carrying out attacks on the homes of Minnesota politicians was detained by authorities on Sunday.

According to investigators, the man had a political manifesto and a list of targets that included the names of Democratic Party politicians. The services suspect that the 57-year-old could have planned an attack during Saturday's "No Kings" protests. Flyers with the slogan of the nationwide demonstrations were found in his car.

Ed. JŁ