Hearts are heavy in Burnsville as city leaders and residents remember three first responders killed in the line of duty two years ago this Wednesday.
It was February of 2024 when Burnsville police officers Matthew Rugie and Paul Elmstrand, and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth were killed in the line of duty.
Burnsville resident Adam Silkey remembers the day vividly.
"I remember where I was," he said. "I was just sitting at home and again, scrolling Facebook and seeing someone just post about this thing that had happened. And I just started clicking through and you know, there wasn't a lot of information right away."
For the day, flags were flown at half-staff, red and white lights lit up City Hall, and wreaths were placed in the council chambers.
Silkey believes this has united everyone.
"I think it's really brought the community together, reminding everyone that everyone's here to be part of this community, that we're all here to support each other," Silkey explains.
The three killed had responded to a report of a domestic situation involving a man who was barricaded in a house with family members in Burnsville.
After the officers arrived, the situation grew tense, escalating “into gunfire” with the first responders.
A week later, nearly 8,000 people packed an Eden Prairie church to remember the fallen during a somber, moving, at times even funny memorial service. It was followed by what is perhaps the largest procession of police and public safety vehicles in the state's history.