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Report: Hostage taker killed after takeover of Morrison Co. Government Center in Little Falls (MN)
KARE11.com ^ | 6/24/08 | KARE11.com

Posted on 06/24/2008 11:30:30 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo

A hostage situation ended with shots fired and a man wounded inside the Morrison County Government Center in Little Falls Tuesday morning.

The Star Tribune reports on its website that the mayor of Little Falls says the hostage taker was killed. County authorities would not confirm that.

In a news release at 12:30 Tuesday afternoon, Morrison County authorities did confirm they shot and wounded the hostage taker. They say he was taken to St. Gabriel's Hospital. But the hospital will not confirm anyone was taken there.

KARE 11 News reporters at the scene say squad cars from Little Falls police and the State Patrol remain on the scene.

Law enforcement officers dressed in fatigues and armed with rifles also responded.

Many county government workers stood outside the building and yellow police tape has been placed over one entrance to the courthouse. The facility will be closed for the remainder of the day.

The Morrison County Record is reporting on its website that a man named Gordon Wheeler, Sr., walked into the government center around 10:20 Tuesday morning, with a handgun hidden in a bandana.

The newspaper says Wheeler's whose adult-oriented businesses had been ordered closed by Morrison County.

The newspaper says Wheeler took some county board members hostage, and says witnesses report several shots fired.

The newspaper says two "visibly shaken" county commissioners were seen leaving the government center after the shots were fired.

The paper says Wheeler sued the county in 2007, and has a long-standing feud with Morrison County over adult-oriented businesses he runs in the county.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: banglist; ccw; littlefalls
Small town news. A tragedy, for sure....

But, what I will be waiting for is.... if this was just a dirtbag with a gun or a carry permit holder.

Rest assured, if it is the former, this story will go away in short order with no mention of the fact that he had no permit...

However......if this person was a MN carry permit holder......God help us...the outrage will carry on for a month or more...

1 posted on 06/24/2008 11:30:30 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
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Link to Star Tribune article....http://www.startribune.com/local/20741969.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:1


2 posted on 06/24/2008 11:36:23 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Fight Crime. Shoot Back.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

http://www.mcrecord.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43959&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1 shows that this was brewing for a long time.


3 posted on 06/24/2008 12:20:30 PM PDT by beltfed308 (Heller: The defining moment of our Republic)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

He had a recent felony prostitution conviction and was on 15 years probation so I’m guessing that you can rule out a valid carry permit, but that is only my guess I don’t know for sure.

http://www.mcrecord.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=43959&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1


4 posted on 06/24/2008 12:23:45 PM PDT by voteNRA
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To: beltfed308

Thanks for checking that out. Felony means no permit.

Thanks again!


5 posted on 06/24/2008 12:24:33 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Fight Crime. Shoot Back.)
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To: voteNRA

Yep. No permit for him.


6 posted on 06/24/2008 12:25:09 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (Fight Crime. Shoot Back.)
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To: voteNRA

I thought prostitution was a misdomeaner.


7 posted on 06/24/2008 1:37:09 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Having custody of a loaded weapon does not arm you. The skill to use the weapon is what arms a man.)
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To: B4Ranch
From link:

"Gordon Wheeler Sr. was convicted last June of one felony count each of promoting prostitution, profiting from prostitution, and owning/operating a disorderly house. Wheeler was fined $10,000, and sentenced to 90 days in jail and supervised probation for 15 years.

You are probably correct if he was the "product". In this case it looks as he was the pimp which I guess is more serious.

8 posted on 06/24/2008 1:48:31 PM PDT by voteNRA
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To: voteNRA

I think he should have got 15 years of hard labor being the pimp. Lowdown scum is what he is.


9 posted on 06/24/2008 3:25:58 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Having custody of a loaded weapon does not arm you. The skill to use the weapon is what arms a man.)
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To: B4Ranch
"I thought prostitution was a misdomeaner."

You're thinking of Misty Moaner.

10 posted on 06/24/2008 3:29:11 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: milford421

Ping.


11 posted on 06/24/2008 3:44:53 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=451 SURVIVAL, RECIPES, GARDENS, & INFO)
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To: Joe 6-pack
The e's and o's of misdemeanors are too easy to screw up.
12 posted on 06/24/2008 5:08:20 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Having custody of a loaded weapon does not arm you. The skill to use the weapon is what arms a man.)
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To: B4Ranch
I think he should have got 15 years of hard labor being the pimp. Lowdown scum is what he is.

While I call him a "pimp", that is only my interpretation of the information the newspaper provided me, I have no first hand knowledge of his situation.

I agree with the "15 years of hard labor" if he was truly a pimp, but I don't automatically assume what I read in the fish wrap as truth.

I just want to make myself clear :)

13 posted on 06/24/2008 9:35:16 PM PDT by voteNRA
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