A Burnsville woman is facing federal charges for her role in an illicit gun purchase scheme that put deadly weapons into the hands of a convicted felon who later used them to murder three first responders in a February shootout. Ashley Anne Dyrdahl, 35, is accused of buying guns for her domestic partner, Shannon Cortez Gooden, who could not legally own them because of a previous felony conviction, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Indicting her on multiple counts, the U.S. Attorney, Andrew M. Luger, announced that Dyrdahl was actively involved in the procurement of firearms for Gooden, with two of the firearms they acquired being used in the fatal shooting of two police officers and a firefighter paramedic. One other officer was injured in the Burnsville tragedy on February 18th, according to the announcement. Between September 2023 and January 2024, unaware of the impending disaster, Dyrdahl allegedly made several straw purchases—an illegal act where someone buys a gun for another who is prohibited from buying one themselves.
The indictment reveals a series of text exchanges between Dyrdahl and Gooden, as well as her false attestations on official ATF Forms 4473, claiming she was the actual buyer and not transferring the firearms to a felon. Dyrdahl reportedly replied with a smiling heart emoji to a video shared by Gooden, displaying one of the guns she obtained for him loaded with an extended magazine, highlighted by the Justice Department.
Following the shooting spree that took the lives of the first responders, authorities discovered loaded magazines and hundreds of rounds of additional ammunition in the pair's bedroom. According to the indictment, Gooden, who was previously convicted of second-degree assault, illegally possessed the weapons – including the AR-15-style semiautomatic firearms with specialized triggers and ammunition intended to increase lethality – that was supplied by Dyrdahl. In a chilling text exchange prior to the attack, Gooden had praised the .300 Blackout rounds, saying "It's nasty bae," with Dyrdahl rejoicing in his satisfaction, "hell yeah ..."
Dyrdahl's indictment charges her with one count of conspiracy, five counts of straw purchasing, and five counts of making false statements when buying firearms. She faced her initial appearance in the U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright. The case was brought as a result of inquiries by multiple agencies, including the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, detailed by the Justice Department.
