Two police officers and a fire paramedic died after responding to a home in Burnsville, near Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States), where a gunman had barricaded himself with a woman and 7 children ages 2 to 15. Police raided the house on the outskirts of the city after receiving a desperate call for help at around 2am on Sunday morning (February 18) following a report of domestic violence.
They tried to mediate with the gunman for hours, but to no avail. “He had several firearms and a large quantity of ammunition,” a local police spokesman said. There was a shootout and several police officers returned fire. After 4 hours of interviews with the suspect, special forces entered the house in Burnsville, where there were 7 children and a woman.
While the paramedic who helped one of the injured died, a third police officer was also shot in the conflict. The victims are police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth. The attacker turned the gun on himself and fired a single shot, killing him. It was announced that the suspect, whose identity has not yet been determined, died around 08:00 in the morning.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety office said it would provide more details about what happened once it completes the preliminary investigation. The state’s governor, Democrat Tim Walz, said in the X-profile that two police officers and a firefighter “were killed while responding to a call from a distressed family” and other officers were injured. The governor wrote again: “We must never underestimate the courage and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day. My heart goes out to their families today and the entire state of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”
Terrible news from Burnsville. Two police officers and a firefighter were killed and other officers were injured while responding to the call of a family in distress.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) February 18, 2024
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
