Burnsville police officers spent over three hours negotiating with Shannon Gooden before he fired upwards of 100 rifle rounds at the police and first responders on the scene.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension released new details Thursday on its preliminary investigation into the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and fire medic Adam Finseth.
Police were called to Gooden’s residence around 1:50 a.m. Sunday on a report of an alleged sexual assault. Gooden refused to leave the home and said he was unarmed with children inside.
The officers then entered the home and “negotiated with Gooden for about three and a half hours in an effort to get him to surrender peacefully.”
Around 5:26 a.m., Gooden opened fire on the officers inside the home without warning. The BCA believes Ruge, Elmstrand and Officer Adam Medlicott were shot inside the home.
Medlicott and Officer Daniel Wical, still inside the home, then returned fire, striking Gooden in the leg. Ruge and Medlicott were shot a second time as police escaped to an armored vehicle in the driveway. At this point, Finseth was shot while attempting to render aid to the wounded officers.
Gooden continued to fire at officers and the armored vehicle, which had personnel inside. Officer Javier Jimenez returned fire with his sniper rifle when Gooden began firing from an upstairs window. The standoff didn’t end until Gooden killed himself.
A SWAT team cleared the house at 10:15 a.m. and found his body. Gooden fired more than 100 rifle rounds at officers and first responders during the incident. Investigators recovered several firearms and a large amount of ammunition. The investigation remains active.
A joint public memorial service for the fallen first responders is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. at Grace Church in Eden Prairie. A fundraiser has also been started to support the families.
Related coverage:
Warrant: Police were responding to sexual assault report when Burnsville shooter opened fire
Court docs: 2 women had filed for protective orders against Burnsville shooter
Fundraiser launched for families of fallen Burnsville first responders
Burnsville suspect was denied gun rights in 2020, reportedly wanted for sex crime
2 police officers, 1 fire medic shot and killed in Burnsville
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
