Friends and neighbors,

“Three Minnesota first responders who were gunned down while responding to a report of a domestic incident at a home with seven children inside were remembered at a memorial service Wednesday as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

That is the lede from the Associated Press.

The memorial service for Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, was emotional and profound. Thousands filled up Grace Church in Eden Prairie, while tens of thousands more – I read as many as 20,000 – watched a live stream from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville or from their own homes. If you missed the service but would like to watch, you can view the Fox 9 stream here.

I had the honor of attending the service with many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. There were also badges from across the country in attendance – I saw one from as far as Florida. It was a moving, amazing show of support for three grieving families, the city of Burnsville, and the entire community of first responders.

I have been getting a lot of questions about how people can donate to the families. The city of Burnsville set up a page that has all the information you need. You can access it here: https://burnsvillemn.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1736

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. God Bless.