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Burnsville, Minn. (AP) – Two police officers and a firefighter who responded to a domestic situation at a suburban Minneapolis home killed early Sunday morning During the standoff, a heavily armed man fired at police from the house, which also contained seven children.
The suspect has died, and another police officer was wounded in the shooting in a neighborhood in Burnsville, Minnesota, a city of about 64,000 people near Minneapolis.
What happened?
Investigators are still piecing together details of the shooting, which stemmed from a domestic call.
The suspect, whom authorities have not yet identified, was armed with several guns and a large amount of ammunition. He had locked himself inside the house along with his family, which included seven children aged between 2 and 15 years.
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said the conversation lasted for hours before the suspect opened fire. He was not specific about the exact timing, but the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association said the standoff lasted four hours before the SWAT team entered the home.
The man fired at officers from multiple locations in the home, including the upper and lower floors, Evans said. At least one officer was shot inside. The windshield of an armored police vehicle was damaged by a bullet.
“We still don’t know the exact details of the shooting,” Evans said. “Certainly multiple officers returned fire.”
The suspect was found dead around 8 am on Sunday morning. The family and children were released. None of them were hurt.
“There haven’t been a lot of calls for service at the home in the past,” Evans said.
‘They are heroes’
City officials identified the slain officers as 27-year-old Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Roose. Firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, who was shot while rendering aid to a wounded officer, also died.
Elmstrand joined the police department in 2017, and was a member of its mobile command staff. His wife, Cindy Elmstrand-Castruita, told WCCO-TV They started dating in high school after attending the same school since kindergarten. They were married for five years and had two children, a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old.
Elmstrand was a quiet man who loved his job and did not complain, despite seeing terrible things during his job, he said.
“I think he just had to be a hero. He had to do what he felt was right to protect those little lives, even if it meant risking (his) life and that breaks my heart because now he’s gone. But I know he thought what he did was right,” she told the station.
Ruiz, who was hired in 2020, was on the department’s crisis negotiation team and was a physical evidence officer.
Another police officer, Sgt. Adam Medlicott was injured and was being treated at a hospital for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the city said.
“We’re hurting,” Police Chief Tanya Schwartz said. “Today, three members of our team made the supreme sacrifice for this community. He is a hero.”
Community, state mourn
Flags in Minnesota were flown at half-staff in honor of those killed. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged people passing by to remember the fallen first responders.
“Minnesota mourns with you,” he said. “The state is ready to assist in any possible way.”
Hundreds of people, including officers from other departments, gathered outside Burnsville City Hall Sunday night for a candlelight vigil for the victims.
U.S. Representative Angie Craig said, “I can’t imagine the pain that you all are going through, but what I can say is that all of our officers out there, the paramedics, our firefighters, for all you do. Thank you. ,
“This is an important community and we’re very saddened by what happened,” said area resident Chris Martin.
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Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, Rob Jagodzinski and Bobby Kaina Calvan in New York City, Maysoon Khan in Albany, New York, and Jesse Bedayan in Denver contributed to this report.
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