Two police officers and a paramedic were shot and killed in Burnsville, Minnesota on Sunday morning during a standoff at a home. The suspect is also dead. Burnsville police officers responded to a call at a home on 33rd Avenue South and East 126th Street in the Twin Cities suburb at about 1:50 a.m. A suspect inside was reported to be armed, and several people were barricaded inside, including seven young children ranging in age from 2 to 15. Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said negotiations with the suspect had taken place for several hours, and paramedics were called in for backup at about 5 a.m. Minutes later, the suspect opened fire, prompting dispatch to order everyone to stay back. Sadly, officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, along with firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth, lost their lives in the line of duty. Sgt. Adam Medlicott, also of the Burnsville Police Department, was injured but is expected to survive.
The suspect, who has not been identified, was found dead at about 8 a.m., and the family members in the home made it out safely soon after. It is unclear at this time the exact details surrounding the exchange of gunfire.
Elmstrand, 27, joined the Burnsville Police Department in 2017 and was promoted in 2019. Ruge, also 27, joined the force in 2020. Finseth, 40, had been a firefighter and SWAT paramedic in the city since 2019. Medlicott has been with the BPD for over nine years.
The tragic events in Burnsville have deeply impacted the community, with the police chief noting that her department is “hurting.” A vigil was held outside Burnsville City Hall on Sunday evening to honor the fallen first responders.
Governor Tim Walz expressed his condolences, and flags have been ordered to be flown at half-staff starting Monday at sunrise. Multiple law enforcement agencies and state leaders have also shown their support and paid their respects to the fallen heroes.