MINNESOTA (US): Two police officers and a firefighter were fatally shot and another officer was left injured after responding to a domestic incident early Sunday morning in Burnsville, Minnesota, CNN reported, citing local authorities.
The incident began at around 1:50 am (local time) when Burnsville police were called to a home after a man reportedly armed himself and barricaded inside with family members, city officials said in a news release.
“After arriving, the situation escalated into gunfire with responders,” the city said in the release.
Notably, Burnsville is approximately 15 miles south of Minneapolis.
Three men were fatally shot, while another officer, Sergeant Adam Medlicott, was injured and taken to a hospital. He is believed to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the city said.
Burnsville city officials identified the three victims as officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27; and firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth (40). The suspect, who has not been identified, was also killed, CNN reported, citing the news release.
The officials said that the other family members were able to leave the home and are safe.
A total of seven children between the ages of 2 and 15 were in the home, Superintendent Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said during a news conference on Sunday. He said the 911 call came from someone in the home.
The unidentified man had “several guns and a large amount of ammunition,” when he shot at police “from multiple positions in the home,” Evans said. Multiple firearms were recovered from the residence, he added.
Evans said that body camera footage from the officers will be reviewed and the medical examiner will identify the suspect, adding that the autopsies are scheduled for Monday.
The city said although there is no active threat in the area, residents are asked to stay away while the incident is being investigated.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said during the news conference expressed his grief on the incident. “Minnesota mourns with you.”
Walz expressed his support for the families of the victims in a post online
“We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day. My heart is with their families today and the entire state of Minnesota stands with Burnsville,” Walz said.
The governor added that flags would be flown at half-staff across Minnesota on Monday and the state Department of Public Safety is “coordinating with local law enforcement to conduct an investigation.”
Elmstrand joined the police department in 2017 as a community service officer and was promoted to officer in 2019, CNN reported citing officials. “He was promoted to Officer in July 2019. He was part of the department’s mobile command staff, peer team, Honor Guard and field training unit,” the city detailed in the release.
Ruge joined the agency in 2020. He was part of the department’s crisis negotiations team and was also a physical evidence officer, officials said.
Finseth had been a firefighter/paramedic for the city since 2019. (ANI)