Honoring the Hortmans 1 year later: Public asked to leave a candle on doorsteps

(FOX 9) - Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman lost their lives in an act of political violence a year ago this weekend, and there are multiple ways the public can honor their memory. 

READ MORE: Honoring the Hortmans: 7 ways in 1 day

Remembering Melissa and Mark Hortman 

Local perspective:

Yvette Hoffman, who was severely injured in the shooting along with her husband Sen. John Hoffman, shared a photo asking the public to leave a candle on their doorsteps at dusk to honor the Hortmans. 

The candle will also honor the Hortman's golden retriever, Gilbert, who was killed in the attack. 

READ MORE: MN lawmaker shootings: Hoffman family reacts to Vance Boelter guilty plea

Meanwhile, the Hoffmans are continuing their healing journey, with their family releasing the following statement following the guilty plea of the attacker:

"There is no justice for Mark and Melissa Hortman, and there is not justice when our family and our state will never truly heal. While the legal process may provide accountability, true healing requires something more from all of us.

"The choice we’ve made is to go forward with public service and present for our community. The opportunity to justice is for Minnesota and Americans to serve is to treat people with respect, to stop de-humanizing each other and to stop dividing our country with hate and rhetoric."

Honoring the Hortman legacy 

What you can do:

Sophie and Colin Hortman channeled their grief into improving the world around them and shared seven ways their parents can be honored.

READ MORE: Remembering Melissa Hortman, Minnesota giant with humble beginning

1. Visit a park: Take in the fresh air at a local park and make use of whatever amenities it has to offer, especially if it has a bike trail.
2. Plant a tree: Melissa Hortman made tree planting a priority when she was Minnesota House Speaker during the DFL 2023 trifecta. "We had the largest environment spending ever," said Rep. Sydney Jordan, (DFL-Minneapolis), one of the chairs of the environment committee that year. "Melissa said 'This is really good, you guys, but we need more trees. You got to make sure there's more trees being planted in our state.'"
3. Pet a dog: Melissa loved her golden retriever, Gilbert, as well, so a tribute to the Hortmans encouraged us to pet a dog, especially a golden. Earlier this year, lawmakers passed a bill to deliver a one-time $200,000 appropriation to Helping Paws in her honor. The Hortmans also worked with the organization to train service dogs for veterans.
4. Bake a cake: Baking was a universal Hortman hobby — bread for Mark, cake for Melissa.
5. Tell a cheesy dad joke: The Capitol press corps often witnessed Melissa Hortman’s humor and her kids recommend telling cheesy dad jokes to loved ones.
6. Learn new things: The Hortmans liked learning new things, so practicing a new hobby can honor them as well.
7. Stand up for what you believe in: Sophie and Colin Hortman also said we should stand up for what we believe in, especially justice and peace.

One more thing

Enjoy a fresh margarita:

Friends of the Hortmans told FOX 9 that anyone who would like to honor them could enjoy a fresh margarita in their memory.

Cheers to you, Melissa and Mark. 

The Source: This story uses information shared by Yvette Hoffman, and previous FOX 9 reporting.