Burnsville Woman Admits To Buying Guns Used To Kill 1st Responders

BURNSVILLE, MN — A Burnsville woman admitted in federal court to straw purchasing the firearms her boyfriend used to shoot and kill three first responders and injure a fourth at their home in 2024.

Ashley Anne Dyrdahl, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of straw purchasing in front of U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

Between September 2023 and January 2024, Dyrdahl worked to obtain guns for Shannon Cortez Gooden despite the fact Gooden could not legally own or possess firearms, authorities said.

On Feb. 18, Gooden used the two AR-15-style semiautomatic firearms Dyrdahl bought for him to ambush first responders, killing Officer Matthew Ruge, Officer Paul Elmstrand and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth.

During the attack, Gooden fired more than 100 rounds of ammunition from the AR-15–style firearms, investigators said. After the attack, law enforcement officers found in Dyrdahl and Gooden’s bedroom a stockpile of fully loaded magazines as well as boxes with hundreds of additional rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

Dyrdahl and Gooden had been dating since 2016. In 2020, Dyrdahl filed a letter supporting Gooden’s petition to restore his firearm rights, which he lost as a result of his 2008 felony assault conviction.

READ: Burnsville Shooter Was 'Responsible' Father, Friends Said In 2020

Despite knowing Gooden’s felony status, from September 2023 onward, Dyrdahl purchased five firearms from two different federal firearms licensees at Gooden’s direction, authorities said.

Among the weapons that Dyrdahl bought for Gooden were three semiautomatic AR–15–style firearms, including a Franklin Armory FAI-15 .300 caliber semiautomatic firearm equipped with a binary trigger, according to investigators. A binary trigger doubles the rate of fire.

Dyrdahl knew that Gooden was loading the firearms with .300 Blackout ammunition, which is a heavier load of ammunition that has an increased potential for lethality, authorities said.

On Feb. 10, Gooden went to a shooting range. According to investigators, while at the range, he and Dyrdahl had the following text exchange:

• Gooden: I love my 300 blackout
• Dyrdahl: Haha good baby
• Dyrdahl: That’s your 300 blackout?
• Dyrdahl: Wow
• Dyrdahl: [Smiling heart emoji]
• Gooden: It’s nasty bae
• Dyrdahl: hell yeah …
• Gooden: Thanks for making me so happy
• Dyrdahl: You’re welcome baby thank you for making me so happy