By Joseph Wilkinson
Source New York Daily News
Two police officers and one firefighter were fatally shot responding to a domestic incident Sunday morning in the south Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville.
The suspected gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources told The Minneapolis Star Tribune. A third police officer was also wounded in the bloodshed.
Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27-year-old members of the Burnsville Police Department, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, were identified as the deceased victims. Sgt. Adam Medlicott was wounded, authorities said. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive.
The cops were shot while responding to the scene and Finseth was killed while treating a wounded officer, said Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans.
“We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day,” Gov. Tim Walz wrote on X. “My heart is with their families today and the entire State of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”
Cops were first called to the home around 1:50 a.m., when someone inside dialed 911, according to Evans. Officers spent hours negotiating with a barricaded suspect, who has not been publicly identified.
Seven children were inside the home during the standoff, Evans said. They ranged from 2 to 15 years old.
Gunfire erupted around 5:30 a.m., according to witnesses in the neighborhood. One of the deceased officers was inside the home when he was shot, Evans said. Cops on the scene returned fire.
During the shootout, the suspect fired from “multiple positions” inside the home, including from a second-story window, according to Evans.
At 6:55 a.m., someone called 911 from inside the house to report that their father was dead and had shot himself in the head, according to audio obtained by The Star Tribune.
Evans said authorities confirmed the suspect’s death around 8 a.m. and the local coroner would establish his identity and official cause of death. Investigators recovered several guns and a significant amount of ammunition from the home, according to Evans.
“Our crime scene will be active and ongoing,” he said.
Elmstrand joined the Burnsville Police Department in August 2017, while Ruge joined the force in April 2020. Finseth had been a Burnsville firefighter-paramedic since February 2019. He was assigned to the SWAT team that responded on Sunday morning.
“Words can’t express how hard today has been,” Burnsville City Manager Gregg Lindberg said, fighting back tears at a late afternoon press conference. “We want to also make sure we take good care of our team, the people who serve this community day in, day out, and their families.”
When asked if police had been called to the home in the past, Evans said there were “not many calls for service at all.”
Numerous other police organizations throughout the Twin Cities shared their thoughts and prayers on social media. It was the eighth incident in the past 10 months in which police officers have been killed or wounded, according to The Star Tribune.
“Our hearts are heavy as we receive tragic news about the officers and paramedic fatalities and injuries in Burnsville this morning,” West St. Paul police wrote on Twitter. “Our prayers and support are with the Burnsville Police and paramedics, their families, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
With News Wire Services
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