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Crime, Law and Justice
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Off-duty Eagan, Eden Prairie firefighter fatally shot in Minneapolis

portrait of a firefighter
Eagan firefighter Joseph Johns passed away while off duty early Sunday morning. Johns also worked for the Eden Prairie Fire Department.
City of Eagan

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An off-duty Twin Cities firefighter was the victim of a fatal shooting in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Colleagues and friends of 40-year-old Joseph Johns told KARE 11 that he was the victim of Sunday’s shooting.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded around 12:40 a.m. Sunday to a shooting on the 900 block of Cedar Avenue. They identified a man with gunshot wounds in the parking lot. He was transported to Hennepin Healthcare, where he later died. 

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Johns died from a gunshot wound.

The City of Eagan and the City of Eden Prairie paid tribute to Johns in posts on Facebook. Johns had been working as a volunteer with the Eden Prairie Fire Department since 2015. In 2020, he joined the Eagan Fire Department as a career firefighter. 

“We are grateful for everyone’s kindness, patience, and empathy as we navigate this moment of profound loss,” the City of Eagan’s announcement read.

Eagan fire officials told KARE 11 on Sunday that firefighters were staying at the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office until Johns’ body was returned to his family. The city of Eagan said that the fire departments in Burnsville and Inver Grove Heights are assisting with calls as Johns’ colleagues mourn his death. 

The Minneapolis Police Department said a second person was injured in the shooting early Sunday. 

Police said that, based on initial investigation, they believe shots were fired across Ninth Street at a group of people in a parking lot. That led to an exchange of gunfire. At last report there had been no arrests connected to the incident.