Man who served as firefighter in Eagan, Eden Prairie lost his life in Minneapolis shooting

Mara H. Gottfried, Pioneer Press
Updated ·3 min read

A firefighter who was fatally shot this weekend while off-duty in Minneapolis is being remembered for his big smile and his dedication to his career.

Joseph C. Johns, 40, was a full-time firefighter with Eagan since 2020. He was also a duty call firefighter part-time in Eden Prairie, where he lived, since 2015.

“Losing a brother firefighter in an unexpected way is very tragic,” Eden Prairie Fire Chief Scott Gerber said Monday of the firefighting family that is grieving.

Johns “filled up a room — he had such a bright light, a bright smile,” said Eagan Fire Chief Hugo Searle, who also remembered his dedication, kindness and ability to make people laugh.

On Sunday about 12:40 a.m., Minneapolis officers responded to a call about a shooting with two people injured in the 900 block of Cedar Avenue South. They found Johns, whom officers provided with medical care before he was transported to Hennepin Healthcare (HCMC). He died in the emergency room of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Hennepin County medical examiner’s office.

Another man with injuries that were apparently not life-threatening arrived at HCMC in a private vehicle.

“Preliminary information indicates shots were fired across 9th St. at a group of people gathered in a parking lot behind 901 Cedar Ave. S.,” Minneapolis police said in a Sunday statement. “Investigators say an exchange of gunfire then occurred.”

No one was under arrest as of early Monday afternoon. Police asked anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

‘Service before self’ mentality

Johns was kind, caring, positive, charismatic and had a “service before self” mentality — “not just in the fire service, but his life as a whole,” Gerber said.

Other nearby fire departments have stepped in to take all the Eagan fire department’s calls until Friday. Eagan firefighters have been gathering, “telling a lot of stories about what Joseph meant to us,” Searle said. The fire department has mental health professionals on site to provide support and services to firefighters.

Mike Scott, interim Shakopee fire chief, was Eagan’s fire chief when they hired Johns.

Scott said people can get burned out after multiple days of serving on an interview panel, but he still remembers “the amount of energy and positivity Joseph brought to his interview,” which reenergized the entire interview panel.

“I told the others on the panel that we needed to hire him before someone else did,” Scott said Monday.

He remembered Johns as an “amazing worker” who offered wonderful patient care as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. He said Johns was the type of firefighter he always received positive comments about.

“He was loved by everyone,” Scott added.

Johns worked from Eagan fire station 1 on Blackhawk Road and Eden Prairie fire station 3 on Eden Prairie Road.

Outside of firefighting, he loved motorcycling and rode his motorcycle all over the country, Searle said.

Gov. Tim Walz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday that his prayers are with Johns’ loved ones, and the Eagan and Eden Prairie fire departments.

“Minnesota’s firefighter community is grieving yet another tragic loss,” Walz wrote. In February, a man fatally shot Burnsville firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, who was well-known to Eagan firefighters, and Burnsville officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand in the line of duty.

Details about a memorial or service for Johns had not been publicly announced as of Monday afternoon.

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