In a shocking revelation, it has now come to light that the Minnesota murders suspect Vance not only killed Democratic former House speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, he also gunned down the family’s beloved rescue dog, Gilbert, in the unhinged shooting spree. And Hortman’s children had to put down Gilbert the first thing after they learned about their parents’ murder. Erin Koegel, a member of the Minnesota House since 2017, said one of the first things Hortman’s children had to do after the shooting was “put down [Gilbert] after learning their parents had been murdered,” she posted on X.Gilbert was a rescue dog and Hotman adopted the Golden Retriever from the local dog shelter called Helping Paws. Hortman had been a foster home trainer there. “Gilbert wasn’t going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay! She needed him in heaven with her,” Koegel wrote. “This morning, we learned of the tragic and senseless death of former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Melissa served her community in more ways than one. She was a Helping Paws Foster Home Trainer, a neighbor, and a friend. The Hortman family raised and trained Minnie, who is now a working service dog partnered with a Veteran. They also helped raise and train Gilbert, a service dog in training who was eventually career changed and became a cherished member of their family. At this time, we do not have confirmed information about Gilbert’s condition,” Helping Paws posted a tribute to Hortman on Facebook before Gilbert died. The massive manhunt for Boelter ended on Sunday night when Boelter was found in a wooded area near his home and he surrendered to the police. Boelter has been charged with multiple counts of murder after authorities took him into custody.
