Twin Cities, Minnesota, was left shaken after the death of two police officers and a paramedic, as a shooting rocked the metropolitan suburb. As per Governor Tim Walz, law enforcement officers responded to a "call of family in danger" on Sunday, February 18, 2024, around 1:50 am.
The incident involved an armed suspect who barricaded himself inside a suburban home with a family including seven children ranging from 2 to 15 years. As per Superintendent Drew Evans with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, officers spent "quite a bit of time negotiating" with him before he opened fire.
City of Burnsville released a statement identifying the victims, namely, officers Paul Elmstrand, 27, and Matthew Ruge, 27, and Adam Finseth, 40, a paramedic with the fire department. Additionally, Officer Adam Medlicott with the BPD, who was shot at the scene, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Minnesota shooting suspect died on the scene
As per the Associated Press, the incident took place in a tree-lined two-story Minnesota neighborhood. A nearby resident, Jason Skog told CBS News he started to see police and SWAT vehicles around 2 am, but the situation escalated about three hours later.
Initially, Skog heard a loud explosion that he mistook for a motor or firework going off. However, he added:
"But then like a minute later, I heard another one, followed shortly thereafter by a series of gunfire, really rapid. Then I knew right away that something bad was taking place."
While he was unsure where the shooting was coming from, he received a call from the police department asking to "shelter in place."
Superintendent Drew Evans called it a "terrible day" for the city, adding that details surrounding the exchange of gunfire remain under investigation. He elaborated that the suspect had a large amount of ammunition and several guns which he used to fire from multiple positions within the house and outside.
The shooter, whom many identified on social media as allegedly being Shannon Cortez Gooden, shot himself at around 8 am.
Another neighbor, Dylan Foline who is a father of two, was left shaken by the incident. He expressed concern about the children who were trapped in the home as well as the families of the victims.
Burnsville Police Department (BPD) 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."
As social media continues to be flooded with support and condolences for the victims, Minnesota Governor Walz ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Monday. A vigil was held for the victims on Sunday evening at Burnsville City Hall.
