A Burnsville woman has entered a guilty plea for her role in a tragic incident that left two law enforcement officers and a firefighter paramedic deceased. The woman, identified as the defendant in the case, admitted to purchasing firearms on behalf of a felon, which were later utilized in the fatal ambush on first responders in February last year, as per details released by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
In a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, it was disclosed that the defendant acquired five guns between September 2023 and January 2024, which she transferred to Shannon Cortez Gooden, a felon and her domestic partner. Despite knowing the firearms she bought and transferred to Gooden was legally barred from possession due to his felon status, according to evidence presented in court.
Among the weapons procured were three AR-15-style semiautomatic lower receivers, including a Franklin Armory FAI-15 .300 caliber gun outfitted with a binary trigger, doubling the rate of fire. As reported, Gooden employed two of these weapons in the assault against the first responders after loading them with .300 Blackout ammunition – a type known for its lethal potential – along with a high-capacity magazine.
Following the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell, a future date for the sentencing hearing will be determined. The successful outcome of this case stems from the concerted efforts of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Burnsville Police Department, with support from the Dakota County Attorney's Office and the Burnsville Fire Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristian Weir and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez at the helm of the prosecution.
