Heartfelt Farewell: A Capital Tribute to the Hortmans

Thousands of mourners, including former U.S. President Joe Biden, paid their final respects to slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at the state Capitol Rotunda on Friday. The couple were victims of an assassin's bullets earlier this month.

Lying in state in St. Paul, a day before a private funeral service, Hortman and her husband were honored amid a crowd of people stretching across the Capitol plaza, mourning their politically motivated deaths. A considerable security presence was noted, as Biden visited briefly, before the public re-entered to resume their homage.

The attack, leading to the highest-profile manhunt in Minnesota's history, resulted in the arrest of suspect Vance Boelter, accused of targeting numerous Democratic legislators. The incident underscores a troubling trend of political violence amidst growing partisan divides in the United States.

(With inputs from agencies.)