GoFundMe says it has reviewed a fundraising page originally established for the live-in girlfriend of the man who fatally shot three Burnsville first responders. A spokesperson said it doesn’t violate their terms, with the organizer now indicating all funds are only going to the woman’s four children.

The fundraiser, initially started for Ashley Dyrdahl and her children, had surpassed $20,000 in donations as of Thursday, when federal charges were announced against Dyrdahl. She is accused of straw purchasing the firearms used by Shannon Gooden in the killings. She entered a plea of not guilty to the 11 charges.

After GoFundMe’s “Trust & Safety team” contacted the fundraiser’s organizer for more information, the “team reviewed and gathered additional information” and determined the fundraising page doesn’t violate their terms of service, a GoFundMe spokesperson said in response to questions from the Pioneer Press.

GoFundMe’s terms of service says any funds raised cannot be used for “the legal defense of alleged financial and violent crimes.”

Seven children were in the Burnsville home with Gooden on Feb. 18 when he barricaded himself inside and later opened fire, killing Burnsville officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth.

Two of the children in the home are Dyrdahl’s and Gooden’s, two are Dyrdahl’s from a previous relationship and three are Gooden’s from a past relationship with Noemi Torres.

A friend of Torres started a separate GoFundMe for her on Feb. 23, writing Torres and her three children “are struggling to resume their normal routine due to lack of housing and transportation.” That fundraiser had raised $6,000 of a $12,000 goal as of Tuesday afternoon.

Madison Weimar, a sister of Dyrdahl’s, started a GoFundMe on Feb. 20 for Drydahl’s children. It has a $50,000 goal.

“We are deeply appreciative of the money we have raised so far, and it is for the good of the children who have had their lives turned absolutely upside down,” Weimar said Tuesday. “I’ve gotten some nasty comments about the fact I’ve even made one, which have made me feel horrible. But we are raising these funds for these innocent children.”

In the original GoFundMe, Weimar asked people to donate “to help my sister and children get back on their feet,” saying they needed a place to stay, to replace transportation and to start healing via therapy.

Photos of Burnsville police officers, from left, Paul Elmstrand, Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth are displayed during a community vigil Feb. 20, 2024, at the Burnsville Police Department/City Hall. (Mara H. Gottfried / Pioneer Press)

The GoFundMe page is now being organized by another sister of Dyrdahl. It has since been updated to remove references to the funds going to Dyrdahl and it now says: “This fundraiser and any donations are solely for the children and the children only.”

Donations for the families of the first responders who were killed are being accepted at lels.org/benevolent-fund.

Gooden, who had a lifetime ban on purchasing or possessing firearms, died by suicide after shooting the first responders.

Dyrdahl went to two Burnsville gun stores at Gooden’s direction and purchased or picked up five firearms between September and January, according to the indictment. Two of the firearms were used in the Feb. 18 homicides.

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