A domestic incident in Burnsville, Minnesota, turned deadly as two police officers and a firefighter/paramedic tragically lost their lives. The state’s governor, Tim Walz confirmed the news, also mentioning that other officers sustained injuries during the incident.
He wrote in an online post made on X, formerly known as Twitter, that,
“While responding to a call of a family in danger, two police officers and one firefighter lost their lives, and other officers were injured,”
Walz also cautioned the public to “never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices” police officers as well as first responders make on a daily basis.
The Burnsville incident occurred on Sunday morning when a call was made to the police around 1:50 a.m. reporting that a man had held family members hostage while also wielding a gun.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the police arrived at 2:30am and were involved in a shootout with the suspect three hours after they arrived.
The city released a statement reporting the deaths of Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge. They also identified the deceased first responder to be Adam Finseth, who was shot while tending to the wounds of a fallen officer.
Sgt. Adam Medlicott sustained injuries during the incident, and is now in the hospital receiving treatment. His injuries are fortunately not critical.
The city also confirmed that the suspect had been reported dead “at approximately 8 a.m.” However, his motives are still unknown.