The children of Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman are speaking out on their parents' murders. “They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone," Sophie and Colin Hortman wrote in a statement obtained by PEOPLE Monday.

Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, State Sen. John Hoffman and their spouses were all shot early Saturday in targeted attacks.

After Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot in a targeted attack, their children have spoken out.

Early Saturday morning, Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were assassinated in their home.

"The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else.”

Days after authorities say a gunman posing as a police officer fatally shot their parents and wounded two others, the children of Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman, are speaking out about their loss.

Two days before her assassination, Hortman made a plea for more bipartisanship and face-to-face conversations, rather than social media echo chambers.

Minneapolis mourns the assassination of Speaker Hortman and husband; city emphasizes democracy, safety, and community events.

Gov. Tim Walz called the event a “politically motivated assassination," with the attack marking the latest such incident over the last several years.