Crime

Carlton Co. Inmate Charged with Attempted Murder of Guard

CARLTON, Minn. – A Carlton County inmate has been charged with attempted murder after he attacked a corrections officer, according to court documents. Matthew William Johnson, 27, is facing charges, including attempted murder, after authorities say he attacked a corrections officer at the Carlton County Jail on December 30. According to court documents, an officer let Johnson out of a…

Vineyard Church and Vineyard USA Face Civil Suits for Former Youth Pastor’s Abuse

The lawsuits name the church, their parent origination, their former youth pastor Jackson Gatlin, and his parents

DULUTH, Minn. -While the criminal cases against former Duluth Vineyard youth pastor Jackson Gatlin were prevented by a plea deal, new lawsuits aim to discover how sexual abuse within the church went overlooked for so long. On Nov. 6, Jackson Gatlin pled guilty to five counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct with a child. Gatlin received a 13-year sentence for the…

Warrant Finds Fentanyl at West Duluth Apartment

  DULUTH, Minn. – A man is in custody after a search warrant uncovered 150 grams of fentanyl, and thousands in cash at a West Duluth apartment. Duluth Police say a 54-year-old man was arrested this afternoon when they executed a search warrant alongside the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force. According to a statement by the department, officers executed…

Agencies Respond for Group Fighting at Miller Hill Mall Food Court

No arrests or persons of interest have been reported

DULUTH, Minn. – Multiple agencies responded to the Miller Hill Mall food court Monday afternoon, after calls that a group of juveniles and adults were fighting. In an email, the Duluth Police Department confirmed to FOX21 that around 6:30 pm this evening, they responded to the Miller Hill Mall for reports of “multiple people, both juveniles and adults, fighting in…

DECC Security Guard Charged After Recording Teen

The security guard is also charged with recording young women in his neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. – A now former security guard has been charged with sexual harassment for recording a teen girl while she was using a private fitness facility at the DECC; and that wasn’t his first time. According to a criminal complaint filed Saturday, 62-year-old security guard Perry Michael Burke used his phone to record a 17-year-old girl while she was…

Arrest Made in Mankato West Hockey Stick Theft

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police say they have arrested a 23-year-old male suspected of stealing over 30 hockey sticks from the Mankato West High School boys’ hockey bus on Saturday, while parked near the Downtown Holiday Inn. The Duluth Police Department announced it arrested a suspect, in connection with the theft of the Mankato West high school hockey team’s sticks….

Two Arrested in Connection of a Shooting on LCO Reservation

LAC COURTE OREILLIES RESVERSATION, Wis. –Two arrests have been made after a shooting on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation in Sawyer County. On Sunday, Dec. 29, the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department responded to a shooting in the area of Poppletown Road. There LCO Tribal Police found a victim with gunshot wounds who later was transported for medical attention….

Former Hermantown PTO Treasurer Sentenced After Stealing Over $100,000

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A Hermantown woman has been sentenced after stealing over $100,000 from the Hermantown Parent Teachers Organization (PTO). Trista Swanson, 44, was sentenced to three years of probation on four counts of felony theft. Swanson must also pay back the $103,017.41 that she stole from the PTO. She plead guilty to these charges in October. Swanson was the…

Driver Faces 24 Charges Stemming from Cherry Bus Crash

DULUTH, Minn. – The driver, who authorities say, was distracted by her phone when she crashed into a school bus back in September, is now facing 24 charges. Svea Snickers, 19, faces 24 charges including five felonies, seventeen gross misdemeanors, and two misdemeanors, from the same crash. A criminal complaint, filed on Thursday, claims the September 12, 2024, crash between…

Federal Indictment for Two Men Accused of Fentanyl/Meth Distribution to Red Lake

A September traffic stop turned up a pound of meth and 100 grams of fentanyl

DULUTH, Minn. – A traffic stop by a Minnesota State Trooper in September uncovered 454 grams of meth and 100 grams of fentanyl, according to court documents; now the two occupants have been indicted. Federal authorities accuse 46-year-old Bobby Donnell, and 29-year-old Jordan Lussier, of conspiring to traffic drugs on the Red Lake Reservation. According to court documents, both men…

After Shooting, Wisconsin School And Church Lean Into Christmas Message For Comfort

Courtesy: Associated Press For Christians around the world, Christmas is the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. To affirm their beliefs — that God is present and hasn’t abandoned them — the faith community at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, is embracing its holiday traditions just days after a deadly shooting there. “When people say, ‘Where is…

Douglas County Data Breach

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – Unauthorized access of HIPAA-protected information by county employee, largely flies under the radar. Six-months after the Douglas County Department of Health and Human Services determined an employee had accessed protected personal and health information without authorization, a notice appeared on the county’s website. The one-page statement states the employee was terminated, and that the Superior Police Department…

Recent Mesaba Avenue Fatality Results in Call to Action

DULUTH, Minn.– According to the Minnesota Road Safety Information Center, since 2016, Mesaba Avenue here has seen 348 crashes, that has resulted in 90 injuries. And now 2 fatalities. “What happened to Steven was heartbreaking. As we heard, he was so deeply loved. When someone’s life ends too soon like this, we have to work to make sure it doesn’t…

Arrest Made In Superior Hit-And-Run That Injured Woman Celebrating Birthday

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior police made an arrest Thursday in a weekend hit-and-run that seriously injured a woman. Police said the name of the suspect will be released when formal charges are filed. Authorities also said they recovered the suspected vehicle involved. The call for help came in around 3:45 a.m. Saturday about the hit-and-run in the alley of TJ…

Police: 2 People Found Dead In Vehicle At Duluth Airport

UPDATE, (December 20)- Police have identified the two individuals found dead at the Duluth International Airport Thursday. The bodies of 75-year-old Duluth resident Lawrence Roscoe and 77-year-old Duluth resident Ann Roscoe were found inside a vehicle in a parking ramp at the airport. Police say the incident remains an active investigation. DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating after two…

Building, Vehicle Struck By Gunfire During Bar Close In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior police are searching for a shooter after bullets went flying at bar close early Sunday morning. Police responded to the area of North 7th Street and Tower Avenue at 2:17 a.m. for reports of shots fire. A large group of people were leaving the bars when police arrived. Vehicle starts on fire after taking on gunfire…

Gilbert Woman Arrested for 2023 Fentanyl Overdose Death

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office say they have made an arrest in the overdose death of a Range man in 2023. A nine-month investigation into the death of 25-year-old Isaiah Deegan has resulted in 3rd Degree Murder charges for a Gilbert woman. 20-year-old Ashley Cook is who authorities allege sold Deegan the Fentanyl-laced pill that took his…

Sen. Hauschild Asks President To Rescind Clemency Of Former Duluth Headshop Owner Jim Carlson

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown) is calling on President Joe Biden to rescind his clemency ruling for former Last Place On Earth owner Jim Carlson. Carlson is among roughly 1,500 people whose sentences have been commuted by Biden — people who were “serving sentences in home confinement during the pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their…

3 Dead, Others Injured In Shooting At Private Christian School In Madison

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details about the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school…

Staff Oppose Duluth Federal Prison Camp Closure

Prison camp staff object to closure of Duluth facility, site lack of warning

DULUTH, Minn. – Workers from Duluth’s Federal Prison Camp meet to discuss next steps, after the FBOP announced they will close or ‘deactivate’ multiple facilities across the country. A flurry of emotions at tonight’s workers’ union meeting over what comes next, after being informed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons that Duluth’s camp will be among the facilities to either…

Police: Man In Custody Had Gun, Mask, Writings Tying Him To Killing Of UnitedHealthcare CEO

FOXNews.com NEW YORK (AP) — Police arrested a “strong person of interest” Monday in the brazen Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee in Pennsylvania alerted authorities to a customer who was found with a weapon and writings linking him to the ambush. The suspect, identified by police as 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione, had a gun believed…

Duluth Federal Prison Shutting Down

DULUTH, Minn. — The decades-old Duluth Federal Prison is shutting down. The Federal Bureau of Prison said Thursday that it’s one of six prisons across the country being “deactivated.” The agency said the decision is being made to help deal with significant challenges, including a critical staffing shortage, crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources. The Duluth camp is not only…

UnitedHealthcare CEO Killed In ‘Targeted Shooting’ Outside New York Hotel, Officials Say

(AP) NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday morning in what police said was a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference. The 50-year-old executive was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police…

Biden Pardons Son Hunter Despite Previous Pledges Not To

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members. The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his…

Family Trying to Rebuild After Suspected Arsons Destroy Everything

A GoFundMe page has been set up for a family who lost their home in suspected Sawyer County arsons

DULUTH, Minn. – State and local officials continue to investigate a string of suspected arsons that is now up to six, while one family tries to rebuild. Rick and Jean Clark’s home in southwest Sawyer County was one of the first in a string of recent fires in the area, that authorities suspect are the results of arson. Their home,…

Arson Suspected in String of 6 Sawyer County Fires

Sawyer County Sheriffs release surveillance video while appealing to public for information

DULUTH, Minn. – Sawyer County Sheriffs released a short surveillance video on Wednesday, showing an individual seen near one of the fire locations. Sawyer County Sheriffs are appealing to the public for information regarding a string of suspected arsons. Six structure fires were reported in the last week, all clustered near Exeland, Radisson, and Birchwood Townships. The first fires date…

Officers Assaulted, Student Arrested After Fight At Denfeld High School

DULUTH, Minn. — A fight at Denfeld High School Tuesday ended with one student arrested and officers assaulted. A school resource officer responded to help staff members try to separate the students. During the chaotic scene, one staff member and two officers were assaulted, according to a police spokesperson. Three other staff members suffered the effects of a chemical irritant,…

Former Duluth Youth Pastor Sentenced in 2 of 5 Cases

Jackson Michael Gatlin pled guilty to sexual assaulting children, while he served as a youth pastor from the Duluth Vineyard Church

DULUTH, Minn. -A former youth pastor for Duluth’s Vineyard Church, was sentenced to 13 years in prison Monday, after entering a guilty plea earlier this month. Jackson Michael Gatlin, 36, of Duluth, was a former youth pastor for Vineyard Church, where he sexually assaulted five girls from the congregation. On Monday, Gatlin was sentenced to 13 years in prison in…

Latest Hells Angels Hearing

Trial dates are still set for at least one defendant, after an evidentiary hearing that saw defense attorneys call 6 witnesses

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Prosecuting attorneys were largely silent, during an evidentiary hearing on Friday, while the defense continued their pursuit of a dismissal. All four charged members of the Iron Range Hells Angels and their supporters were present in the Virginia courtroom, for the joint hearing of members Anthony Debelak and Eric Newman, who is the only member still in…

Murder-Suicide Suspect Told Police to “Put a bullet” In his family’s heads if Trump took power

During a previous mental health call to the home, Nephew said he feared for him and his family if Donald Trump became President

DULUTH, Minn. — New information has come to light, regarding the murder-suicide that claimed five lives last week in West Duluth. The suspect, Anthony Nephew, was open about his mental health, even penning a 2021 Community Op-Ed in the Duluth News Tribune about his journey and the need for more public support for those who suffer from mental illness. In…

Virginia Police Department Investigates Early Morning Stabbing

VIRGINIA, Minn. — The Virginia Police Department is investigating a stabbing that took place early Friday morning. According to the press release, a man arrived at 4:12 a.m. to the Essentia Virginia Hospital with a stab wound to the abdomen. Authorities say the 33-year-old victim told law enforcement the suspect was a known acquaintance but did not provide much more…

E-Mailed Bomb Threats Target Minnesota Election Offices

E-mailed bomb threats have targeted more than half of Minnesota’s election offices since Nov. 8. St. Louis county has not been targeted, though, according to a county spokesperson Tuesday night. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon issued the following statement: “Threats of violence against election workers, aimed at disrupting our democracy, are absolutely unacceptable. Although election day is over, election…

Investigators Believe Wisconsin Kayaker Faked His Own Death Before Fleeing To Eastern Europe

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man apparently faked his own drowning this summer so he could abandon his family and flee to eastern Europe, investigators say. Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podell said in a news release Friday that the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office informed his agency on Aug. 12 that Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown had gone missing after…

5 Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide

A father is suspected of shooting his two sons, and their mothers before taking his own life

DULUTH, Minn. – Around 2:00 pm Thursday, Duluth Police performed a welfare check at the 6000 block of Tacony Street, which would lead to the discovery of one of the deadliest criminal acts in recent history. At a press conference, officials addressed the deaths of three adults and two children whose bodies were found at properties less than a mile…

ATV Driver Involved with Armed Road Rage Incident

HIBBING, Minn. — The Hibbing Police Department is looking to identify the driver of an ATV in the attached photo. According to Hibbing Police, Thursday afternoon at approximately 1:50 PM, the driver of the ATV was involved in a road rage incident and fired a round from an unknown firearm towards another vehicle. Authorities say at this time, no injuries…

Duluth Police Arrest Suspect Involved in 3 Random Home Invasions

UPDATE (November 7, 3:30 p.m.) — Duluth Police announced they have arrested the suspect in connection to the 3 burglaries. Authorities say the suspect was arrested at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday. This remains an active and ongoing investigation. UPDATE (November 7, 10:38 a.m.) — Duluth Police are investigating a third burglary in the city in the last three days. According…

Statement on Duluth Burglaries from Mayor Roger Reinert and Police Chief Mike Ceynowa

DULUTH, Minn. — Mayor Roger Reinert and Police Chief Mike Ceynowa release a joint statement regarding the recent burglaries in the Duluth area. The statement was posted on the Duluth Police Department’s Facebook page Thursday afternoon at about 3 p.m. It includes the two emphasizing to call 911 if you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood. Categories: Crime, News, News…

Victims of Former Youth Pastor Speak

A Duluth youth pastor pled to sexual assault of children in his congregation

DULUTH, Minn. – Sexual assault victims of a former youth pastor spoke today, after a plea hearing in a Duluth court. A former youth pastor for Vineyard Church in Duluth, Jackson Michael Gatlin, was booked into the St. Louis County Jail today, following a plea hearing in which he faced 10 charges related to the sexual assault of children from…

Investigation of Superior Police Officer Leads to Dismissal of 40 Criminal Cases

Dist. Atty. Mark Fruehauf said he discovered serious inconsistencies between the officer's written report and body camera evidence.

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A Superior police officer is no longer on the force after Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf discovered the officer may have intentionally lied on a police report to raise a suspect’s charges to a felony. As FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports, Fruehauf has been forced to dismiss 40 criminal cases because of credibility concerns involving the…

Amber Alert Suspect Linked to Fatal Shooting

A mother and her children are safe, after they were the subjects of an Amber Alert

BRAINERD, Minn. – A suspect in connection to an Amber Alert issued for a Brainerd mother and her kids, is also alleged to have fatally shot a man, according to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities allege that that 35-year-old Chad Aanerud abducted his girlfriend and her four children around 2:00 am Friday morning on Loerch Road in Brainerd….

Coffee Conversation: St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay was on the morning show Tuesday to talk about his nearly two years on the job, including what changes he believes needs to happen at the state capitol to make it easier to recruit talent. Part 1:   Part 2: Categories: Coffee Conversation, Crime, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Political,…

Hundreds Of Ballots Are Destroyed After Fires Are Set In Ballot Drop Boxes In Oregon And Washington

SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities were investigating Monday after early morning fires were set in ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and in nearby Vancouver, Washington, where hundreds of ballots were destroyed. The Portland Police Bureau reported that officers and firefighters responded to a fire in one ballot drop box at about 3:30 a.m. and determined an incendiary device had been…