WASHINGTON: A gunman shot two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota on Saturday, killing one and her husband and wounding the other, in what the northern US state`s governor said were politically motivated attacks.

The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the United States, as thousands took to the streets in protest at the policies of Republican President Donald Trump.

The suspected assailant, who was on the run, has been identified as Vance Boelter, 57, the New York Timesreportedwhile quoting law enforcement officials.

Trump and US Attorney GeneralPamBondi decried what they called `horrific violence` and said the perpetrators would be prosecuted to `the fullest extent of the law.

State representative Melissa Hortman the former speaker and her husband Mark were killed at their home near Minneapolis, Governor Tim Walz told a press conference.

State senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were shot and wounded, the governor said, his voice breaking with emotion. He said officials remained `cautiously optimistic` they would recover. `This was an act of targeted political violence,` Walz told reporters.

`Peaceful discourse is the foundation of our democracy. We don`t settle our differences with violence or at gunpoint.` Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said Hoffman and his wife were shot first, and as police investigated, Hortman and her husband were shot about 90 minutes later.

The suspected gunman was able to escape during an exchange of gunfire with officers near Hortman`s residence, Evans told reporters. `We`re actively searching for that individual right now,` he said. In both cases, authorities believe the assailant was impersonating a law enforcement officer.-AFP