Minneapolis, MN
Meet the Minneapolis Fire Department’s first all-Indigenous crew
The Minneapolis Fire Department is making history with the first all-Indigenous fire crew.
For the past six months, a crew of four has manned engine 10 in fire house number six in Minneapolis.
Captain Michael Graves, fire motor operator Jessie Strong, and firefighters Johnny Crow and Bobby Headbird make up Minneapolis’ first all-Indigenous fire crew.
“We picked engine 10 station six to kind of be close to Little Earth and Franklin community where it’s mostly and it’s highly dense population of Natives in that area,” said Graves.
All the firefighters represent different Nations: Graves from Red Lake, Headbird from Leech Lake and Strong from the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe.
“I’m from Pine Ridge, I’m Oglala Lakota,” said Crow.
They’re proud to serve the community that raised them.
“All of us come here from the community, our families are here, our friends are here, we’re from the city of Minneapolis and we’re trying to give back to the community that has given us a lot,” said Crow.
The crew’s chemistry was instant. Their goals were the same: to inspire kids and adults in the Indigenous community.
“When we come on scene, we get smiles, people see us. They go ‘What? We have an all-Native crew?’ They are amazed at seeing it,” said Graves.
Station six is the busiest in the city. The rig and its Native crew make dozens of runs a day.
“We enjoy this, we enjoy taking runs. We enjoy helping so we take a lot of pride in being busy,” Crow said.
With frequent calls comes exposure to what’s hurting their community. Poverty, drug use adn violence makes the fight to steer young people in another direction, constant.
“We’re kind of making a new path for our community and I think that’s why we are received really well by the community here because they understand the importance of where we are at in our position and it gives hope to the next generation,” Crow said.
They want their service to be an example to all who see them or are helped by them.
“Without the community we don’t have a job so we are here for them. The community and we really appreciate going out into the native community and supporting them,” said Headbird.
The battalion chief, Steph Johnson is also Native. The goal of the Minneapolis Fire department is to have its roster reflect the city’s diversity.
A Minneapolis man who pleaded guilty to murdering a high school student in 2022 was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison on Monday.
It was the second time Cody Fohrenkam was sentenced for fatally shooting 15-year-old Deshaun Hill. He was convicted and sentenced to more than 38 years in prison in February 2023, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later reversed the conviction and granted him a retrial based on illegally obtained incriminating statements.
Fohrenkam, 33, agreed to a plea deal as his second trial was set to start, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree intentional murder in exchange for Monday’s 340-month sentence. The judge presiding over the hearing gave him credit for 1,476 days already served.
Fohrenkam shot and killed Hill while Hill was walking to a bus stop just blocks from Minneapolis North High School, where Hill was a star quarterback and honor roll student.
One of Hill’s aunts said in a statement shortly before the judge sentenced Fohrenkam that her nephew was “full of life.”
“When he spoke, you listened. He had a soft spirit and a good heart,” she said. “Deshaun was an artist who, as you all know, he took his education seriously. He had dreams and goals. He worked hard to make his family proud.”
This story will be updated.
A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.
Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.
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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.
Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.
The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building
Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.
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In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.
Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.
Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.
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