Burnsville first responders shot: What we know so far

WE’RE CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THE FATAL SHOOTING OF THREE FIRST RESPONDERS IN BURNSVILLE THIS MORNING. IT HAPPENED THIS MORNING AROUND 5:30 A.M. THOSE OFFICERS IDENTIFIED AS PAUL ELM STRAND AND MATTHEW RUGE, WHO ARE TWO BURNSVILLE POLICE OFFICERS. ADAM FINSETH, WHO WAS A BURNSVILLE FIREFIGHTER AND PARAMEDIC SERGEANT. ADAM MEDLICOTT WAS ALSO HURT WITH WOUNDS THAT DO NOT APPEAR TO BE LIFE-THREATENING AND UNFOLDING. JUST BEFORE 2 A.M, BURNSVILLE POLICE CALLED TO THE 12,600 BLOCK OF 33RD AVENUE SOUTH ON A REPORT OF A DOMESTIC SITUATION WHERE A MAN WAS REPORTEDLY ARMED AND AFTER ARRIVING, THE SITUATION QUICKLY ESCALATED INTO GUNFIRE WITH THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS.

WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT OF THIS TRAGEDY. BAB SANTOS IS NEAR THE SCENE IN BURNSVILLE, WITH ACCOUNTS FROM NEIGHBORS WHO HEARD THIS UNFOLD. COURTNEY GODFREY LIVES OUTSIDE BURNSVILLE CITY HALL, WHERE A VIGIL IS SET TO BEGIN AT FIVE. AT 630, AND WE BEGIN, THOUGH, TONIGHT WITH KAREN SCULLIN, WHO WAS AT A NEWS CONFERENCE THAT WRAPPED UP JUST A SHORT TIME AGO. AND, KAREN, A DIFFICULT DAY FOR THE CITY OF BURNSVILLE AS THEY CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS. ABSOLUTELY. A VERY, VERY HEAVY DAY HERE AT CITY HALL. CITY LEADERS HOLDING BACK TEARS AS THEY ADDRESSED THE MEDIA, OFTEN REFERRING TO BURNSVILLE EMPLOYEES AS FAMILY. FAMILY. THAT WORD WAS USED QUITE A BIT TODAY. THE BCA, WHO WAS IN INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION, ALSO UPDATING US ON WHAT HAPPENED.

LET’S ROLL SOME OF THE VIDEO FROM THE SCENE AND IT’S ALL STARTED AROUND 2 A.M. THIS MORNING. POLICE RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC CALL. INSIDE THE HOME WAS A MAN, A WOMAN AND SEVEN CHILDREN, AGES 2 TO 15 YEARS OLD. THOSE CHILDREN AND THE WOMAN INSIDE WERE NOT HURT AT SOME POINT, SHOTS WERE FIRED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOME. IT’S UNCLEAR HOW THAT EXCHANGE OF GUNFIRE UNFOLDED AGAIN, THOUGH. BCA SAID THE SUSPECT FIRED FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE HOME. SHOOTING OUTSIDE IS WHAT I MEAN. THERE. NOW WITH THAT, THEY COULD NOT SAY WHERE EXACTLY THE TWO OFFICERS AND THE PARAMEDIC WERE SHOT, AND KILLED. WE DO KNOW THE SUSPECT FIRED OUT THE WINDOW OF THE TOP FLOOR OF THE SPLIT LEVEL. THAT’S WHEN THAT SWAT VEHICLE WAS HIT. SIX BULLETS FIRED INTO THAT WINDSHIELD. BUT NEIGHBORS TOLD ME THEY HEARD JUST A HAIL OF GUNFIRE. IT SOUNDED LIKE A WAR ZONE.

HE SAID. WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS A LOT OF NEGOTIATION BEFORE THIS GUNFIRE UNFOLDED. THEY TRIED TO NEGOTIATE WITH HIM FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT ULTIMATELY, AS WE KNOW, TWO OFFICERS WERE KILLED ALONG WITH A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THE SUSPECT WAS DEAD. UNCLEAR THOUGH IF IT WAS A SUICIDE OR IF HE WAS KILLED BY POLICE. NOW LET’S HEAR FROM THE POLICE AND THE FIRE CHIEFS ON THIS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DAY. WE’RE HEARTBROKEN. WE ARE HEARTBROKEN. WE ARE GOING TO NEED TIME TO BE TOGETHER. PLEASE PLEASE, OUR FAMILIES NEED TIME TO GRIEVE. THEY NEED TIME TO BE TOGETHER FOR. WE NEED YOU TO PRAY FOR THEM. THAT’S WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW. OUR FOLKS COME TO WORK EVERY DAY AND ARE WILLING TO GIVE UP THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF THEIR LIFE, BUT NO ONE EXPECTS IT TO HAPPEN.

IT’S A TRAGIC DAY. WE’RE ALL GRIEVING AND WE’RE ALL TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY. I CAN TELL YOU, GOVERNOR WALZ WAS ALSO HERE RECOGNIZING THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS ON HAND HERE FROM ALL OVER THE METRO AND I HAVE ALSO WITNESSED SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WALK UP TO POLICE TO TELL THEM THEY ARE THINKING AND PRAYING FOR THEM.

ONE MAN OUTSIDE CITY HALL EARLIER TODAY WAS WAVING A BLUE LINE FLAG BACK HERE LIVE. I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS JUST A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DAY. NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY OF BURNSVILLE, BUT FOR DAKOTA COUNTY, AND THE ENTIRE STATE. A LOT OF PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS JUST A HEARTBREAKING SITUATION HERE. LET’S GO LIVE. NOW TO MY COLLEAGUE BOB SANTOS, WHO IS AT THE SCENE WHERE THIS ALL UNFOLDED IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, BABS, KAREN, IT HAS BEEN A TRAUMATIC DAY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. EARLIER, WE SAW A SWAT VEHICLE JUST RIDDLED WITH BULLETS ACROSS THE ENTIRE FRONT SIDE. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AWAY, AND THEN A FEW HOURS AFTER THAT, A MAN WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS THE BROTHER OF ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS KILLED SHOWED UP AS FAMILY MEMBERS AND GOT THE NEWS OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT DAY. REALLY? SO MANY PEOPLE IN BURNSVILLE TODAY, SO SHAKEN UP BY THIS NEWS, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD TO GUESS, PROBABLY 20 TO 30. UM, YOU KNOW, GUNSHOTS, FAMILIES WOKE UP TO LOUD BANGS AND GUNFIRE ON SUNDAY MORNING. THE TERRIFYING SOUNDS OF A GUN BATTLE IN THEIR NORMALLY QUIET BURNSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ALL AFTER POLICE SAY A MAN BARRICADED HIMSELF INSIDE OF A HOME WITH HIS FAMILY. JUST BEFORE 2 A.M, CONNOR NOONAN LIVES A BLOCK AWAY FROM WHERE IT HAPPENED. WE HEARD A LOT OF RAPID FIRE. UM, A LOT OF GUNSHOTS. ALEX MARTINEZ AND CARMEN SCHAEFER LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM SUNDAY’S CHAOS AND SAY THEY LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO SEE POLICE OFFICERS RUNNING IN EVERY DIRECTION TO SURROUND THIS HOUSE ON 33RD AVENUE SOUTH. I SAW A BODY ON THE GROUND AND THEY WERE SCREAMING. BURNSVILLE POLICE LATER CONFIRMED THESE TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC WERE SHOT DEAD, WHILE THE FOURTH OFFICER HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED, BUT IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. IT’S JUST SO HEARTBREAKING. WE FEEL FOR THEM. UH, IF THERE’S ANYTHING WE CAN DO AS A BURNSVILLE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST NEED TO SAY THE WORD. THE BCA HAS NOW TAKEN THE LEAD ON THIS INVESTIGATION.

ALL WHILE RATTLED NEIGHBORS. DO SOME INVESTIGATING OF THEIR OWN, THEIR BEDROOM WINDOW WAS SHOT, AND WE HAVE A HOLE IN THE WINDOW AND, UM. YEAH. AND IN OUR SIDING. REPORTER. AUTHORITIES SENT OUT A SHELTER-IN-PLACE NOTIFICATION AS THE BULLETS WERE FLYING LATER BY 8 A.M, LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYS THE SUSPECT WAS FOUND DEAD AND HIS FAMILY MEMBERS HAD SEVEN CHILDREN. ACCORDING TO NEIGHBORS, WERE ABLE TO SAFELY LEAVE THE HOME. WE SAW THAT YOU KNOW, THE KIDS COME OUT OF THE HOUSE. I WAS GRATEFUL, BUT I FELT SO AWFUL FOR THOSE KIDS AND WHAT THEY HAD TO ENDURE, YOU KNOW? AND THE MOM AND JUST JUST THE TERROR THAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, IN THAT HOUSE FOR THOSE KIDS, THEY’LL NEVER BE THE SAME.

UM TONIGHT, AND JUST UNDER AN HOUR, THE CITY OF BURNSVILLE WILL HOST A VIGIL FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER AND MOURN THIS LOSS TODAY. THAT’S HAPPENING AT THE BURNSVILLE CITY HALL. OUR REPORTER, COURTNEY GODFREY, WILL BE THERE TONIGHT, SO I WANT TO SEND IT OVER TO HER NOW. THANKS, BABS. AND AS YOU HEARD, MY COLLEAGUE KAREN SCULLIN MENTIONED, THE COMMUNITY SHOWING UP FOR THIS CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HERE. WE’VE SEEN A CONSTANT STREAM OF NEIGHBORS AND OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHOWING UP TO LAY FLOWERS ON THE SQUAD CARS.

I’LL STEP OUT SO YOU CAN SEE. BUT OFFICER ELM STRAND AND OFFICER SQUAD CARS ARE ALREADY PARKED HERE OUTSIDE SIDE OF THE BURNSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AS A GROWING MEMORIAL TAKES SHAPE OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT HERE AND IN THE COMING DAYS, THIS COMMUNITY AND THE ENTIRE STATE WILL COME TO HONOR THESE FALLEN HEROES WITH FORMAL MEMORIALS AND CEREMONIES. USUALLY, THOSE EVENTS ARE BACKED BY THE MINNESOTA LAW ENFORCEMENT MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. I TALKED TO THE ORGANIZATION’S PRESIDENT EARLIER TODAY WHO SAID THEY HAVE YET TO MEET WITH THE VICTIM’S FAMILIES. THEY PROBABLY WILL IN THE COMING DAYS, BUT THEY ARE READY TO HELP, POINTING OUT THAT THIS IS NOT JUST THE FAMILIES THEMSELVES WHO ARE HURTING FROM THIS LOSS, BUT THAT EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IN UNIFORM IS DEEPLY IMPACTED BY THESE TRAGIC DEATHS. THOSE PEOPLE MADE A SACRIFICE THAT WAS BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES TODAY AND THE REST OF US WILL CONTINUE TO PUT THIS UNIFORM ON WHICHEVER UNIFORM IT IS.

UM, BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN WHAT IT IS THAT WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. YEAH, WE HEARD THE CITY MANAGER TODAY SAY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER TODAY. JUST ECHOING THE SENTIMENT THAT THE CITY IS IN MOURNING, THAT THE CITY IS GRIEVING. BUT IT’S NOT JUST THE CITY, AS YOU HEARD GOVERNOR WALZ SAY DURING THAT PRESS CONFERENCE EARLIER TODAY. IT’S THE ENTIRE STATE. AGAIN A VIGIL WILL BE TAKING PLACE HERE TONIGHT AT 630 AS WE WATCH THIS MEMORIAL GROW, AND WE WILL BRING YOU THAT VIGIL LIVE HERE ON FOX NINE.

KELSEY, RANDY CAN’T STATE ENOUGH. AND IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS THE MAGNITUDE OF HOW HEAVY THIS IS AND HOW DAUNTING THIS IS FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED. AND IN HIS CLOSING REMARKS TODAY, THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID, AS YOU.

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