2 officers, 1 first responder killed at the scene of a domestic call in Minnesota; suspect dead

BURNSVILLE, Minn. —  A man armed with multiple guns and large amounts of ammunition shot at police officers from both the upper and lower levels of a suburban Minneapolis home on Sunday, killing two officers and a firefighter, authorities said.

A third officer was wounded in the shooting in Burnsville. The suspect in the shooting also died, officials said.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said there was an exchange of gunfire, and authorities were still piecing together details.

The firefighter and paramedic who was killed was providing aid to an injured officer when he was shot, authorities said. Evans said during a news conference that the paramedic was a part of a SWAT team that had been called to a domestic situation.

Officers responded to a call involving an armed man who had barricaded himself inside with family, including seven children. Officials said the family was able to leave the home safely.

Negotiations with a suspect went on for four hours before a SWAT team entered the home, according to the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Assn. Details on how the suspect died were not released.

City officials identified the slain officers as Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, and the firefighter as Adam Finseth, 40. Another police officer, Sgt. Adam Medlicott, was injured and being treated at a hospital with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, the city said.

The shooting happened in a tree-lined neighborhood of Burnsville, a city of about 64,000 about 15 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. A police armored vehicle parked nearby had bullet damage to its windshield, but there was no confirmation on whether that was the result of the incident.

“Horrific news from Burnsville,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a post on Facebook.

“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,” he wrote.