Shannon Gooden fired 100+ rounds at Burnsville responders after claiming he was unarmed, BCA says
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The suspect in the killings of three first responders during a standoff in Burnsville last weekend fired more than 100 rounds after claiming he was unarmed, new details from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension revealed Thursday.
A sexual assault allegation brought authorities to the Burnsville home just before 2 a.m. Sunday, where they made contact with Shannon Gooden.
When officers arrived, they spoke with Gooden. The BCA says he refused to leave the home but said he was unarmed and had children inside.
The officers are said to have negotiated with Gooden for over three hours when he opened fire on the officers in the home around 5:36 a.m., according to the BCA.
The BCA believes Matthew Ruge, Paul Elmstrand and Adam Medlicott were initially shot inside the home. Medlicott and Daniel Wical returned fire, striking Gooden in the leg.
Ruge and Medlicott are said to have been shot a second time as officers were moving to an armored vehicle in the driveway. Paramedic and firefighter Adam Finseth was shot while trying to aid the injured officers.
Finseth, Ruge and Elmstrand were killed by the gunfire. Medlicott has since been released from the hospital.
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Investigators say Gooden continued to fire shots out of the home at officers and the armored vehicle. While Gooden was shooting from an upstairs window, officer Javier Jimenez returned fire with his sniper rifle, the BCA reports.
Gooden was reported dead at about 8 a.m., and the family members in the home made it out safely a short time later. A medical examiner said Gooden died by suicide.
The BCA says crime scene personnel recovered several firearms, a large amount of ammunition and numerous casings from the home. They also discovered that Gooden had allegedly fired more than 100 rifle rounds during the incident.
A joint public funeral for Elmstrand, Ruge and Finseth is planned for Feb. 28 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.
Suicide prevention and domestic violence resources
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.