MINNEAPOLIS — Joel Larson never dulled who he was.
He moved to Minneapolis from Iowa. His friends and family said he put a smile on everyone's face.
"He just lit up the room,” said his sister, Janet.
On July 31, 1991, Joel Larson was shot and killed in Loring Park near his home.
It was later found that a man who targeted places where LGBTQ people gathered killed another person. This time, it was former state Sen. John Chenoweth, near the east bank of the Mississippi River.
A letter was sent to the media containing details only the killer would know. According to the Star Tribune, the writer called themselves the 'AIDS Commission' and wrote the killings were an attempt to slow the spread of AIDS.
Jay Thomas Johnson was convicted for both murders and for wounding another man.
A bench dedicated to Joel sits near Berger Fountain and has brought comfort to many, including Joel’s good friend Awen Briem.
“I struggled for a long time,” said Briem. “I didn't understand how people could be so hateful.”
Briem said he and his family would come to Pride every year.
“It just hurt my heart to know that there were tens of thousands of people in the park feeling safe and feeling together, living authentically and feeling seen and celebrating that and that that was not Joe's last moments in that park,” said Briem. “It felt like sacred ground. And so it was a huge healing component to be able to place a memorial there.”
Briem said that Joel was unapologetically himself.
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