Protecting and serving Minneapolis came with a generous lunch break today, all of it thanks to volunteers and donors.

The 42nd Annual First Responders Dinner was held at the Northeast Moose Bar and Grill. Several restaurants from the neighborhood dropped off trays of food, while local bakeries made sure there was plenty of dessert.

From noon until 10 p.m., police officers, firefighters, EMTs and others serving the community stopped in for a well-deserved meal.

Sukhdeep Singh, owner of Curry Corner, was excited that his restaurant was asked to help provide food this year.

“I made sure that we are going to have more than what we need so we don’t run out,” he said. “(First responders) are the backbone of our city. Every time we get an opportunity, we want to be there to make sure that we are always giving back.”

His restaurant is one of several contributing to the annual Christmas Eve dinner at the Moose Bar and Grill.

Aileen Johnson is one of the organizers of the dinner. She said the dozens of volunteers live nearby. The restaurants and bakeries are all from the Northeast.

Johnson says it’s the neighborhood’s way of saying thank you.

“I think it really captures the spirit of the holiday to do for others and to think of others,” she said. 

Watching police officers crack jokes and relax hits close to home for her.

“My late husband, Charlie Herzog, was an officer in the 5th Precinct and he worked many a Christmas Eve. And it was always a wonderful thing to know that he was getting a good hot meal, and not just a good hot meal, but a celebratory meal,” she said.

Hundreds of first responders were expected to attend. 

Volunteers also delivered hundreds of meals to those who couldn’t make the trip, like 911 dispatchers, corrections officers, paramedics at nearby hospitals and Metro Transit.

Merry Christmas Eve! Jason, Falen, executive producer Jeff and producer Bjorn share their holiday traditions. Plus, a look back at a decade of The Jason Show. An intern at our station, Jackson, put together a great documentary about the show.

A man was fatally shot after an argument early Tuesday morning in Minneapolis. 

Fatal shooting on Thomas Avenue North

What we know:

According to Minneapolis police, around 2:30 a.m., officers responded to the 1600 block of Thomas Avenue North on reports of a shooting inside a home.

At the scene, officers found a man with several gunshot wounds. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died, police said.

Authorities say that an argument led to gunfire, and the suspect fled the scene before police arrived.

A 17-year-old was arrested in connection to the shooting, and police say they are investigating “connections” between the teen arrested and other violent crimes in Minneapolis this year. 

What they’re saying:

“Another family has forever been impacted by senseless violence,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “Settling disputes with a firearm is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice in this case.  Every available tool in the juvenile justice system must be used to protect young people who pose a danger to themselves as well as the community.” 

What we don’t know:

Police did not specify the gender of the 17-year-old. And the other crimes the teen could be connected to were not specified. 

The man who was fatally shot has not been identified.