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Friends, classmates remember 17-year-old killed in Minneapolis shooting

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Friends, classmates remember 17-year-old killed in Minneapolis shooting


At Joey Goodwin’s art class in the basement of Augsburg Fairview Academy, there is an empty seat, and a message of love written on his desk.

“Long live Joey,” it reads. “We will all miss you,” and the initials AFA.

“Joey was a tall, gentle giant,” recalls Heidi Anderson, the academy’s executive director. “He had a head full of hair, and everybody knew him and loved him at school.”

“He was a really special kid,” adds Chris Harer, one of the academy’s English teachers. “Really a beautiful soul.”

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Goodwin, a 17-year-old junior, started attending classes there in October.

Fellow students, teachers and staff were shocked to learn he was one of four victims who were shot and killed along 25th Street in the Midtown neighborhood Tuesday night.

“When you hear there was a shooting and knowing that it’s at Little Earth or on Bloomington and 25th, these are the neighborhoods our kids live in,” Anderson says quietly. “It makes me sick to my stomach, thinking that could be someone I know, and it usually is.”

Goodwin’s classmates didn’t want to speak during our visit, but one girl showed 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the painting she made for him, portraying an angel.

It too says, ‘long live Joey’ along with the words, ‘you’ll be missed,’ with a heart symbol nearby.

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Anderson also showed KSTP a still life that Goodwin painted before his death.

Days after the shooting, many at the academy are still stunned.

“I was shocked, I couldn’t believe it,” Harer declares. “Felt like I had just seen him.”

He recalls Goodwin as a voracious reader, especially about Indigenous culture — one of those kids who drew people to him.

“He had so much more ahead of him, really good things ahead of him,” Harer says. “To have that cut short and feeling like it was almost stolen from him.”

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Anderson says she visited Goodwin’s family Friday morning.

“They are destroyed,” she explains. “I mean, Joey is… was a very positive kid, and he brought a lot of energy and light into a room. And he leaves a big hole in their hearts. They’re hurting right now, and I think it’s going to take a long time to recover.”

Some yarn material, requested earlier by Goodwin for a project, was brought to the school the day after his death.

Staffers say it will be made into a blanket and presented to his family.

There are also plans to plant a flowering crab apple tree as a living memorial to Goodwin’s life.

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“It would leave a very nice space for his family to be able to come and remember him, too,” Anderson says.

The academy is working on getting grief counselors to help students work through the loss of their friend. Anderson says it’s important for the community to know who Goodwin was and to honor his life, cut tragically short.  

“That’s why we’re hoping to share as much as we can about him, so he’s not forgotten,” she declares. “Because he was an incredible kid.”



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Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE

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Minneapolis construction workers call on developers to take stand against ICE


Construction workers in Minneapolis on Friday called for developers to demand that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave Minnesota and offer protections for their crews. Protesters at a separate demonstration on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis asked corporate businesses to end what they call cooperation with immigration enforcement.



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Minneapolis, MN

Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer

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Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer


The story behind Anthony Edwards wearing a bright orange bracelet since last season has received a positive development, after Timberwolves fans learned Luca Wright has beaten leukemia.

Anthony Edwards, Luca Wright connection

What we know:

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Last January, the 6-year-old Minnesotan met “Ant” for the first time following a game against the Detroit Pistons, proclaiming him to be his favorite player, and asking him to wear a bracelet that symbolizes leukemia awareness, resilience and support for those affected. During the interaction, the fan had created a sign with a to-do list: “1. Beat Cancer. 2. Be The Next MJ.”

Leukemia is a type of cancer that spreads throughout the bloodstream, infecting bone marrow and a person’s lymphatic system by rapid production of abnormal white blood cells that can’t fight infection.

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Since then, the Wolves’ MVP has worn a bracelet that proclaims, “Love Like Luca” on it for every game he has played, vowing to wear it “until he hangs up his sneakers.”

Ant has gone on to explain how the gesture connected with him given that he lost both his mother, Yvette, and grandmother, Shirley, to cancer when he was 14 years old. The No. 5 jersey he wears currently is a tribute to them both.

Luca bracelet latest

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Dig deeper:

More than a year later, Wolves fans have received the update they hoped for – now 7-year-old Luca has beaten his cancer.

What’s next:

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Ant has since responded to the news with his own social media video, calling it “God’s gift” and saying, “Let’s do this Luca.”

No word yet on whether he intends to keep wearing the bracelet, though he’s previously said he has a stash of replacements near the team bench should one ever be broken.

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The Source: Information provided by the Minnesota Timberwolves public relations department.

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

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Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:


A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken. 

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone. 

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

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Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented. 

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

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Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said. 

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request. 

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers. 

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Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face. 

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

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