Alleged straw buyer in Burnsville first responder shooting pleads guilty

The woman charged with buying the two rifles that her boyfriend used to kill three Burnsville first responders last year pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to straw purchasing.

As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors are dropping three other straw purchasing counts against Ashley Dyrdahl, who also agreed to appear in public service announcements to warn about straw purchasing. She faces a possible sentence of 30 to 37 months.

A man wears a Minnesota Twins hat
Shannon Gooden, who authorities say fatally shot two Burnsville officers and a paramedic before killing himself on Feb. 18, 2024, appears in a photo uploaded to his Facebook account on May 5, 2023.
Via Shannon Gooden's Facebook

Prosecutors say Dyrdahl purchased guns for Shannon Gooden, who was barred from buying them himself because of a felony conviction.

In February, Gooden fatally shot Burnsville officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth after they responded to a call about an alleged sexual assault. Investigators said Gooden killed himself during the early morning standoff.

Dyrdahl lived in the home with Gooden, as did seven children who were present at the time of the shooting.

Although no one mentioned domestic violence in the hearing Tuesday, court documents show that in 2017, Dyrdahl had accused Gooden of domestic violence and requested a protection order. Court documents show at least three women had filed for protection orders against him.

The deaths of the three first responders gripped Burnsville and much of the state, with more than 10,000 people attending their February funeral. Countless more watched a livestream of the event.

A poster honoring officers
A poster honoring Burnsville Officer Paul Elmstrand, Officer Matthew Ruge, and Firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth sits outside the Burnsville City Hall on Feb. 20, 2024. Elmstrand, Ruge, and Finseth were killed on Sunday while responding to a domestic situation at a Burnsville home.
Tim Evans for MPR News

On Tuesday, Burnsville police officers and firefighters filled part of the gallery in the courtroom in Saint Paul to once again show their support for the victims.

“She knows she can’t say sorry or express remorse enough to the people sitting behind us,” said Dyrdahl’s attorney, Manny Atwal.

If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation with a partner, there is a 24-hour statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest. Last updated from Wikipedia 2024-12-01T02:42:46Z.
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