MINNETONKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Wednesday in honor of Minnetonka Deputy Fire Marshal Shawn Johnson, who recently died of cancer.
Honoring Shawn Johnson
What we know:
All U.S. and Minnesota flags will fly at half-staff from sunrise on Wednesday, March 18 to sunset on Thursday, March 19, to honor Johnson. He passed away on March 5 after a two-year battle with cancer.
Johnson spent two decades with the Minnetonka Fire Department, starting in March 2006 as paid, on-call firefighter. During his time with the department, he served as a lieutenant and training captain before joining the department full-time in 2016 as a fire inspector in the Fire and Life Safety Division.
In 2023, he was promoted to Deputy Fire Marshal. Johnson supported firefighters statewide as a testing evaluator with the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board.
A nationally-certified Fire Investigator, he served as Vice President of the Minnesota Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators and was recognized as Minnesota Fire Investigator of the Year in 2020. He also served for more than a decade with the Hennepin County Fire Investigation Team in several leadership roles.
"Shawn was passionate about training and developing firefighters across Minnesota. He taught and tested firefighters through the Minnesota Fire Service Certification Board, traveling statewide to support departments of all sizes. His ability to educate, mentor, and inspire made him a respected resource throughout the fire service," the Minnetonka Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
Flags are at half-staff for Nicole Amor
Flags are currently at half-staff for Nicole Amor, a White Bear Lake resident and U.S. Army Reserve soldier who was killed during Operation Epic Fury in Iran.
Her funeral service has been set for Friday.