Northeast Pennsylvania legislators reacted with concern and outrage to the fatal shooting Saturday of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and urged other lawmakers and constituents to reject violence and build relationships with their neighbors.
Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed by a man accused of posing as a police officer. Hours earlier, Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were both shot and wounded at their home by the same man, authorities said.
Vance Boelter, 57, was arrested after a two-day manhunt and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder.
Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, of Blakely.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8 of Dallas Twp.
Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, of Dunmore
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre
State Sen. Dave Argall, R-29, Rush Twp.
Elected officials from across the region reminded their constituents of the importance of peaceful dialogue between members of both parties, emphasizing that violence will not be tolerated.
State Sen. Marty Flynn, D-22, Dunmore, said he works with some of the most conservative Republicans across the country without any animosity.
“There is none of that. Ideologically they could be the farthest from where I am, but we treat each other with respect,” he said. “We play golf together. We’re friends.”
Flynn said he believes media, especially social media, fuels the belief in a divided government.
“People love their legislator, but they don’t love the Legislature,” he said. “They don’t trust government.”
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-121, Wilkes-Barre, the Democratic chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, works closely with Republican Chairman Rep. Dan Moul.
“We consider ourselves friends. We would help one another out with our families, with our offices, with our staff. There’s a friendship there,” Pashinski said. “It doesn’t mean that we agree on all the political issues, but there’s a mutual respect.”
Pashinski admits that there are fringe groups of both parties, which he described as “extreme,” but says that is not the norm.
State Rep. Dane Watro, R-116, Kline Twp., said his position on the House Police Committee provides the chance for him to travel across the state and become familiar with other areas and their state representatives, both Democrat and Republican.
“I’m able to get out there and talk with our friends across the aisle and understand what their district is like, to better understand what their wants and needs are,” he said. “I have a lot of friends on the other side of the aisle and we talk about issues.”
State Sen. Dave Argall, R-29, Rush Twp. agrees.
“The sort of terrible violence we saw over the weekend must never, ever become the way we settle our differences. We certainly don’t always agree in Harrisburg, but that should never stop us from talking to each other and working together,” Argall said.
Demand for justice
All legislators interviewed said they believed the Minnesota shooter should pay for his crime, which would serve as a deterrent.
“There is no one who should be supporting someone who so strategically designed, thought out and then followed through in this murder,” Pashinski said. “There are no guts, there is no courage by the person going up to someone who is unarmed and then just shooting them.”
He finds it intolerable that Boelter is accused of killing others in the name of his Christian faith, a faith Pashinski said is based on respecting others and making their lives better.
“That trial should last about five minutes,” he said.
Watro said he believes it’s important the shooter be held accountable for taking the lives of two people and injuring two others.
“Holding people accountable will send the message it’s a bad idea and deter anyone else from doing it,” he said.
State Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, said elected officials shouldn’t have to fear for their life and safety and the life and safety of their families.
“I know we can’t stop or anticipate all evil in the world,” Mullins said. “But, I do hope this assassin is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that, whatever his fate, it would serve as a deterrent to future similar attacks and be a clear and convincing warning that political differences will never be resolved through political violence.”
Argall said political violence is never acceptable.
“I hope law enforcement will bring the perpetrator to justice as soon as possible,” he said.
Hannah Pope, spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8, of Dallas Twp., said in an email to The Times-Tribune, “Rep. Bresnahan is deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent violence against lawmakers in Minnesota. No elected official, regardless of party or belief, should ever be targeted for violence.”
Security measures, shaken sense of safety
Legislators are reviewing their safety and security practices at home and in their district offices.
Mullins said state legislators were briefed on ongoing security measures and options available to them in their home districts.
When it comes to his Peckville offices, he and his staff are fortunate to have the Blakely Police Department just several hundred yards away.
“They are an extremely vigilant police force,” Mullins said.
In spite of a nearby police department and stellar security measures, Mullins is shaken.
“There is no way to escape the fear or the feeling of ‘that could have been me, that could have been any public servant across the country,’” he said.
Mullins said such incidents as an invasion of Nancy Pelosi’s home during which her husband was attacked in 2022, the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise in 2017, an arson at the governor’s mansion earlier this year and an attempt on President Donald Trump’s life in 2024 underscore the danger of political service.
Mullins, married with two children, 8 and 5, said he works to protect them from hearing about violent episodes involving government officials.
It isn’t always easy, he said.
“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to shield them from current events,” he said. “This is one I really tried to keep out of their view. It’s tough enough to have a dad who is a public official.”
Pashinski said the House of Representatives has discussed security concerns and there have been efforts made at the state Capitol to increase security, including a screening process for people coming in.
Pashinski said representatives have “begun the conversation” about their home district offices, which are more vulnerable.
“My office has a panic button, my office has cameras, my office has a button to let you in. We have a second system of locks,” he said. “There are other options that we are considering.”
Pashinski’s home is also connected to a security system, including cameras.
And although Pashinski encourages others to implement security systems, he said the bigger issue comes down to the fact that people need to follow the law.
“Anybody that’s willing to do this kind of stuff definitely needs some help,” he said. “This is not normal and it’s certainly not what our country stands for.”
For Flynn, a big part of security means simply being aware of his surroundings.
“We have a heightened sense of awareness to the environment we are in currently,” he said.
Flynn said his reaction to the shootings was disgust.
“Our thoughts are with the families,” he said. “It’s very sad when someone who has given their life to public service gets murdered over an ideology.”