Minnesota
Three slain Minnesota first responders remembered for their commitment to service
Two young police officers and a firefighter-paramedic were killed in a burst of gunfire Sunday as they responded to a domestic disturbance call in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. Another officer also was injured, and the man identified as the shooter fatally shot himself, police said.
Here are the victims’ stories.
Burnsville Police Officer Paul Elmstrand.
Courtesy of the City of Burnsville
Paul Elmstrand, 27, was the youngest of five children. He was raised on his family’s farm in North Branch, north of Minneapolis, where his parents, Rodney and Sara Elmstrand, mostly grow strawberries and pumpkins, his mother said Tuesday.
He enjoyed running cross-country as a boy and he chose to work in law enforcement because of his admiration for a family friend who was a state trooper, his mother said.
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Elmstrand was class president at Cambridge-Isanti High School in Cambridge, a city of about 10,000 residents near North Branch. He graduated with a criminal justice degree from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul in 2018 and married his high school sweetheart, Cindy, the next year.
They had two children: Maria, 2, and Mateo, 6 months.
“He was the most generous, loving, patient person I’ve ever known with the biggest smile,” Cindy Elmstrand-Castruita said of her husband in a statement. “He had a servant’s heart and would drop everything to help someone who was in need.”
Elmstrand joined the Burnsville Police Department in 2017 as a community service officer, becoming a police officer in 2019. Among other roles, he was a member of the department’s mobile command staff.
Elmstrand also worked as a part-time officer with the University of Minnesota Police Department.
“He really loved people, and he loved Jesus.” said Sara Elmstrand. “He was a real people person who could talk to anyone. A great dad,. A great husband. I don’t think he had any enemies.”
Sara Elmstrand said her son’s funeral will be Saturday at Woodridge Community Church in Long Lake.
Burnsville Police Officer Matthew Ruge.
Courtesy of the City of Burnsville
Most relatives of Burnsville Officer Matthew Ruge live in the Chicago area, but he and his family moved to Minnesota when he was a child, his cousin Josh Ruge said Tuesday via Facebook Messenger.
Ruge, who was 27, grew up in Wabasha, Minnesota, a city of about 2,500 people roughly 85 miles southeast of Minneapolis. A neighbor, Robin Gwaltney, recalled that he was kind and respectful, even at a young age.
“It was a pleasure to know him,” Gwaltney told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m so proud of what he turned out to be — such a wonderful young man. It’s just a darn shame.”
He graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Law Enforcement Program in 2018, the university said on its Facebook page. He joined the Burnsville police force in 2020. Ruge was part of the department’s crisis negotiations team and was a physical evidence officer.
Josh Ruge said the last he had heard about Matt was how happy his family was that his cousin wasn’t an officer in Minneapolis during the protests that followed the May 2020 police killing of George Floyd.
“And then this ends up happening to him anyways,” Josh Ruge said.
Gwaltney wasn’t surprised that Matt Ruge went into law enforcement.
“He was a young man who wanted to do nice things for people,” she told the newspaper.
Burnsville firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth.
Courtesy of the City of Burnsville
Adam Finseth, 40, was an Army veteran with a long history of service to his country and community.
Finseth graduated from John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota, in 2001. He served in the Army Reserve from February 2003 to October 2003, when he joined the regular Army. He served until February 2009, according to an email from Fonda Bock, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Human Resources Command.
During his time in the Army, Finseth was twice deployed to Iraq — for a year starting in September 2005, and for 14 months beginning in September 2007. He earned 13 awards, including the Army Achievement Medal and Army Good Conduct Medal, and was promoted to staff sergeant in January 2008.
Finseth began his firefighting and paramedic career with the fire department in Hastings, southeast of Minneapolis, in 2015, the Pioneer Press reported. He later worked with the department in Savage, Minnesota, before going to Burnsville.
The Savage Fire Department said on Facebook that Finseth treated everyone with respect, empathy and compassion, and that he “embodied the true spirit of a firefighter. … His legacy is etched in the memories of those who served alongside him and characterized by his calm demeanor and unwavering support for his fellow team members.”
Finseth joined the Burnsville department as a firefighter and paramedic in February 2019, according to a news release from the city.
In his off time, Finseth coached youth baseball.
He was part of the Burnsville public safety team’s SWAT unit that was called to the scene of the domestic disturbance on Sunday. He was treating one of the injured officers when he was shot, police said.
Burnsville Police Officer Adam Medlicott.
Courtesy of Burnsville Police Department
Burnsville police Sgt. Adam Medlicott was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center after being shot. He was released from the hospital Monday.
Medlicott, 38, joined the police department in August 2014 and was promoted to sergeant in September 2022, the city said. He serves as a patrol sergeant, supervises community service officers and is a drug recognition expert, it said.
A city spokesperson said in an email that Medlicott was named Burnsville’s officer of the year in 2020.
Minnesota
Minnesota weather: Single digit highs Wednesday through Friday, milder next week
MN weather: Cold and sunny Wednesday
It’s a sunny but cold Wednesday with highs in the single digits and subzero wind chills. FOX 9 meteorologist Jared Piepenburg has the forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – It’s a cold and sunny Wednesday in Minnesota with single digit highs and subzero wind chills.
Wednesday’s forecast in Minnesota
The forecast:
Wednesday will be cold and sunny with northwest winds between 5–15 mph, making it feel below zero throughout the day.
Temperatures remain below average, with central Minnesota seeing highs in the single digits, far northern Minnesota experiencing subzero highs, and double-digit highs in the southwest. The Twin Cities metro will top out at around 8 degrees.
Wednesday night remains mostly clear but cold as temperatures drop below zero with wind chills in the negative teens.
Extended Minnesota weather forecast
What’s next:
Thursday stays cold with a mix of sun and clouds. Highs remain in the single digits, accompanied by subzero wind chills.
Frigid conditions continue into Friday before temperatures gradually warm over the weekend. Saturday brings highs in the teens, followed by warming into the mid-20s by Sunday. A weak system may bring a few snowflakes Sunday afternoon.
Here’s a look at the seven-day forecast:
The Source: This forecast uses information from FOX 9 meteorologists.
Minnesota
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar attacked during town hall meeting
BREAKINGBREAKING,
Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance during the attack by a man, who was then tackled to the ground.
Published On 28 Jan 2026
Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar has been attacked by a man while hosting a town hall meeting in Minneapolis.
Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance by the man before he was tackled to the ground on Tuesday.
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The Reuters news agency said that Omar was not injured in the attack, and authorities have not said what substance was sprayed or whether charges have been filed against the assailant.
The audience cheered as the man was pinned down and his arms were tied behind his back. In a video clip of the incident, someone in the crowd can be heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her”, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Omar continued the town hall after the man was ushered out of the room.
Just before the attack, she had called for the abolishment of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign.
“ICE cannot be reformed,” Omar said.
Minneapolis police did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident and whether anyone was arrested.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message from the AP seeking comment.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow soon…
Minnesota
Trump makes changes on the ground in Minnesota and doctors break with the CDC: Morning Rundown
In today’s newsletter: Some Trump administration advisers and allies say the optics of the immigration operation in Minneapolis have led Trump to make some changes. An influential group of doctors has split with the CDC over shot recommendations for children. And the downfall of China’s top general could have implications for Taiwan.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump reshuffles his Minnesota operation after backlash from second fatal shooting
President Donald Trump has made significant changes of leadership in the Minnesota immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, according to administration officials and allies.
“The visuals were not playing well. He understands TV. … He saw it for himself,” said a Republican lawmaker who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Saturday’s shooting has prompted a leadership shakeup, a reduction of agents in the city, a reset with key Democratic officials in the state, and an attempt to distance the president from some of the more extreme comments from some of his top advisers.
More than 3,000 federal agents have been sent to Minneapolis, and they currently outnumber the local police force nearly five-to-one. One adviser said that while immigration enforcement will not end, the shooting is forcing the administration to rethink what operations will look like going forward.
Trump said he and Gov. Tim Walz spoke by phone Monday, calling it a “very good call” in a social media post.
Walz said Trump agreed to talk to the Department of Homeland Security about allowing state officials to conduct their own independent shooting investigations and decreasing the number of federal agents in his state.
Read the full story here.
More news out of Minneapolis:
- Democrats are pushing to drastically slash funding for ICE and Border Protection, or totally gut the agencies after the shooting death of Pretti.
- Investigators are reviewing body-camera videos that captured Pretti’s fatal shooting. Analysis shows witness video contradicts the Trump administration’s description of the event.
- A growing number of Senate Republicans are calling for an investigation into the shooting.
- FBI Director Kash Patel says the agency is investigating Minnesota Signal chats that are tracking ICE.
- A Minnesota Republican dropped out of the governor’s race, citing his party’s handling of immigration enforcement in the state.
Doctors break with CDC on vaccine guidance for children
The nation’s leading group of pediatricians released its annual children’s vaccine recommendations — and for the first time in 30 years it significantly broke from the government’s proposed vaccine schedule.
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidance largely reflects what has previously been recommended, no longer completely aligning with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently reduced the number of diseases on the vaccine schedule. The AAP additionally recommends shots against Covid, RSV, the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, and meningitis.
“These recent changes to the CDC schedule are a strong departure from the medical evidence and no longer offer the optimal way to prevent illness in children,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the AAP’s committee on infectious diseases.
Read the full story here.
The downfall of China’s top general
The investigation into China’s top general, once a close ally of President Xi Jinping, has thrown the leadership of the country’s military into turmoil and raised questions about Taiwan’s future.
The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, which controls the armed forces, was under investigation and accused of serious “violations of discipline and law.”
An editorial in the Liberation Army Daily newspaper, the mouthpiece of the country’s armed forces, suggested that Zhang, 75, was accused of corruption and possibly disloyalty to Xi.
Zhang was previously considered “untouchable,” according to Alessandro Arduino, an expert in Chinese security at the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank. “This is a reminder coming directly from President Xi Jinping that political loyalty stands well before combat readiness,” he said. “Political disloyalty is a cardinal sin inside the party. I think the message is extremely clear: No one is safe.”
Of the six generals the president appointed to the commission in 2022, only one is left, allowing Xi to consolidate power but also heightening the risk of a military miscalculation when it comes to Taiwan, according to Steve Tsang, the director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London. “Removing generals like Zhang means that there will not be any general who would dare to advise Xi against a military adventure when the time comes, and this increases the risk of a miscalculation,” he said.
Read All About It
- TikTok says widespread disruptions were caused by a power outage, after users voiced concerns that they were being politically censored under the app’s new U.S. ownership.
- India and the European Union have finalized a landmark trade deal that will represent a quarter of the world’s economy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
- It’s officially tax season, and there are several new deductions going into effect this year that could change how Americans file their returns.
- People are opting for the cheapest available Affordable Care Act plans, but that could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs later.
- The remains of the last hostage held in Gaza were identified by the Israeli military, paving the way for the next phase of the ceasefire.
- Alex Vindman, an Army veteran who was a key witness during Trump’s first impeachment, will run for the Florida Senate as a Democrat.
- Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, apologized for his history of “reckless” antisemitic comments in a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal.
Staff Pick: Some prediction market traders find a lucrative niche: Betting against Elon Musk.
As a tech reporter, I’ve seen Elon Musk fall short on a lot of promises. The Tesla CEO has failed, for example, to deploy fully self-driving cars. And since entering the political world, he has made one pledge after another that haven’t come true, such as his 2024 vow to find $2 trillion in federal budget waste.
Musk is also a master at evading scrutiny. Tesla’s sky-high share price is evidence of that, and he is still the world’s wealthiest person. But now, prediction markets are providing at least a small measure of accountability. These markets are rising in popularity, as people turn to sites such as Kalshi and Polymarket to wager on current events. Recently, I spoke with some users who bet against Musk’s predictions coming true — a strategy that has worked out pretty well for them.
— David Ingram, tech reporter
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Staying hydrated should never fall to the bottom of your to-do list. One easy way to drink more water is to invest in a water pitcher with expert-approved filtration systems. You can also carry around a reusable water bottle to help hit your hydration goals—one of our editor favorites, the Yeti Rambler, is on sale right now for a limited time only.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kaylah Jackson, Marissa Martinez and David Hickey. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.
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