Two police officers and a firefighter were shot and killed Sunday while responding to a distress call at a home in suburban Minnesota, police and state officials said.
A suspect was also killed in a shooting in Burnsville, Minn., a suburb south of Minneapolis, police said. A third police officer was injured.
“We must never take for granted the courage and sacrifice that our police officers and first responders make every day,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D). said in X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “My heart is with their families today and the entire state of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”
According to the Minnesota Police Peace Officers Association (MPPOA), police negotiated with the suspect inside the home for four hours before a SWAT team raided the building. There were seven children in the house.
Details about the suspect and the children’s circumstances are not available at this time.
City officials identified the slain officers as Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27 years old. Firefighter and paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, also died.
“We are heartbroken. Our law enforcement community is heartbroken. We are devastated by this terrible loss,” MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said in a statement. Ta.
Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), who represents the area, mourned the loss.
“It’s horrifying to see this kind of violence happening in our community.” she said in a statement. “Today is yet another solemn reminder that those who protect our communities do so at great personal risk.”
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