Two Officers, Paramedic Killed In Minneapolis

Two police officers and a paramedic were fatally shot in a shootout at Burnsville, Minnesota on Sunday morning. The incident left four people dead, as the suspect was also killed during the shootout.

2 Cops, Paramedic Killed In Minneapolis Suburb Shootout https://t.co/bfdoIZNAhv pic.twitter.com/vjJffgEhsN

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The incident happened in the early hours of the morning, as officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge were called at about 2 a.m. to a private home, where seven children between ages two to 15 were barricaded with a man.

Firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth arrived about three hours later and despite the officers’ attempt to negotiate with the man inside, gunfire broke out. By 8 a.m., the suspect was reported dead, with authorities saying he shot himself in the head.

Another officer, Sgt. Adam Medlicott was shot but his wound was not fatal as he is expected to survive.

According to Superintendent Drew Evans with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the suspect, who was identified on Monday as 38-year-old Shannon Gooden, had lots of guns and ammunition.

Breaking the news of the officers’ deaths, Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz stated, “Today, three members of our team made the ultimate sacrifice for this community. They are heroes. Every day we pray that they go home to their families. And today that’s not happening. We’re heartbroken. We are going to need time to be together. Our families need time to grieve.”

Per the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, Finseth, Ruge and Elmstrand made it to the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. But they succumbed to their wounds shortly after 6:30 a.m.

Cindy Elmstrand-Castruita, Officer Elmstrand’s wife with whom he shared a 5-month-old and 2-year-old, described him as “a very levelheaded person” and “the most generous, loving, patient person I’ve ever known.”

“He could have a conversation with anyone and make them feel seen. He would drop everything to help someone who was in need, whether it be family, friend or someone on the street,” she said, adding, “He loved his job. He saw horrible things but never once did he say, would he come home complaining.”

Speaking to the circumstances surrounding her husband’s demise, she stated, “I think he just had to be the hero. He had to do what he thought was right to protect those little lives even if it meant putting his at risk and it breaks my heart because now he’s gone. But I know that he thought what he did was right.”

While investigation into the case is ongoing, officers have revealed that Gooden was not legally allowed to own a gun due to a prior assault conviction. No information has been provided about the call that led the police to the home that Sunday morning.