Friends and neighbors,

I hope you will all join me in prayer for the three first responders who were murdered in Burnsville over the weekend. It is a tragedy in every sense of the word, and I hope their families find peace.

In the last few days, we have learned some disturbing details about the shooter. He was a man with a history of violence: He was physically and emotionally abusive. He was wanted for a sex crime. He was convicted of second-degree assault in 2008; an offense for which he permanently lost his rights to own firearms.

In the coming days and weeks, I am sure we’ll learn more about how he came to illegally possess his firearms and how this heartbreaking incident happened. But there is one thing I know for sure: sometimes the depravity of man reveals itself in the darkest, most sickening ways imaginable.

I want to leave you with this Pioneer Press story. It has some agonizing details, including what the children involved experienced that day: https://www.twincities.com/2024/02/20/children-were-in-room-with-man-who-killed-burnsville-officers-and-firefighter-and-shot-himself-mother-says/

I hope you will take a few moments to read the story. It was a tragedy that could have easily turned out even worse.

Let’s all support and defend law enforcement and EMS who respond to emergencies in our communities and keep us safe on a daily basis. We must forcefully reject the criticizing and demeaning of their self-sacrifice.

Please pray for these first responders, their families, and the entire Burnsville community.

God bless,