On February 18, 2024, during a police standoff in Burnsville, Minnesota, United States, Shannon Gooden shot and killed police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth. Another police officer was injured by gunfire. After firing at the first responders, Gooden killed himself with a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The officers were responding to a 911 call that reported an alleged sexual assault. ^{[2] [3]} Federal authorities alleged that the weapons Gooden used were obtained illegally via straw purchase and filed criminal charges against his girlfriend. ^[4]

Events

In Burnsville, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, a woman called 911 at 1:50 a.m. local time on Sunday, February 18, 2024, to report an alleged sexual assault by her husband and to request a police presence at her house. The caller provided her address, but the call cut off shortly after. The 911 dispatcher called back several times in an attempt to gain more information. ^[5]

Officers from the Burnsville Police Department arrived at the house just before 2:00 a.m. Gooden initially said he was unarmed. Officers entered the home and attempted to negotiate with him for several hours, before Gooden opened fire without warning at 5:26 a.m. A paramedic was subsequently struck by gunfire and killed while attempting to offer aid to the officers. Gooden continued firing from inside the house at police, including shooting through a window, ^{[6] [7]} until the standoff ended with him killing himself with a single gunshot to the head. Officers found his body and cleared the house at 10:15 a.m. ^{[6] [7]}

The investigation showed that Gooden fired over 100 rifle rounds during the shooting and found several firearms and a large amount of ammunition at the scene. ^{[6] [7]} At some point during the incident Gooden had been shot in the leg. ^[8]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator, identified as 38-year old Shannon Gooden, is reported to have committed suicide after firing more than 100 rounds at the responders. ^{[9] [10] [3]} Court officials reported that Gooden, who had a violent criminal history dating as early as December 2004, lost his firearm ownership rights following his conviction in an August 2007 felony assault for a fight with family members at the Burnsville Center, but he unsuccessfully attempted to restore his firearm rights in 2020. ^[11] Gooden had previously been accused of intimate partner violence multiple times in court, and at least three women sought orders of protection from him. One ex-girlfriend said Gooden also got other family members to assault her, and that he had previously fantasized about dying in a shootout with the police, in an attempt to keep her from getting them involved. The woman and Gooden had three children together, who were among the seven children overall present in the house during the shootout. ^[12]

According to authorities, Gooden fired multiple guns during the incident. ^[13] One of the firearms, an AR-15, was acquired on January 5, 2024, at a local gun store via a straw purchase by Ashley Anne Dyrdahl. ^[14]

Victims

The first responders killed in the shooting were Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand (27-years old) and Matthew Ruge (27-years old), and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth (40-years old). In addition, another police officer, Adam Medlicott (38-years-old) was wounded in the shooting and discharged from the hospital the following day. ^[15] A child who lived at the home was cut by flying glass after Gooden shot through a window. ^[8]

Reaction

Statements

The shooting was the subject of national media coverage in the United States.

Angie Craig, whose United States House of Representative district includes Burnsville, said, "Today serves as another solemn reminder that those who protect our communities do so at great personal risk. We must do everything in our power to prevent tragedies like these before they happen and hold violent criminals accountable to the fullest extent of the law." ^[16]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and United States Senator Amy Klobuchar expressed condolences to the families of the victims. ^[16] Walz ordered flags in the state to be flown at half-staff. ^[17]

Violence Free Minnesota, an anti-domestic-violence advocacy group, said it considered the victims of the shooting to be the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th known victims of intimate partner homicide in Minnesota in 2024, and that they represent the way domestic violence "touches and impacts communities and people beyond those just in the relationship". ^[18]

Minnesota Legislature

Following the shooting, members of the Minnesota Legislature discussed implementing stricter gun storage, safety, and reporting requirements, as well as providing additional services for victims of domestic violence. ^[19] Later, following the indictments against Dyrdahl, they also began to discuss tightening the penalties for making straw gun purchases, as well as banning binary triggers like the ones on the guns used in the shooting. ^[20]

Memorials

On February 24, a convoy of several hundred cars, fire engines, tow trucks and semitrucks traveled across Burnsville to commemorate the deceased first responders and to raise donations for their families. The convoy, which was organized primarily via Facebook, began and ended at Burnsville Center, lasting several hours. ^{[21] [22] [23]} A memorial processional was also announced for Wednesday, February 28, which resulted in changes to the local bus schedule for that day. ^[24] Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District also cancelled all classes on the day of the memorial. ^[25]

Weapons indictment

Ashley Anne Dyrdahl, a former girlfriend of Gooden, was federally indicted on March 14 for allegedly straw purchasing five firearms on Gooden's behalf, two of which were used during the shooting. According to U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger, "The indictment makes it clear that Dyrdahl and Gooden knew exactly what they were doing…That he could not purchase firearms because he was a convicted felon. So instead, he would pick out specific weapons and she would buy them in violation of federal law — placing powerful weapons in the hands of a violent, convicted felon." Dyrdahl had previously petitioned to have Gooden's gun rights restored, which was denied. If convicted, Dyrdahl faces up to fifteen years in prison. ^[26]

Dyrdahl was charged with one count of conspiracy, five counts of straw purchasing, and five counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Among the guns she purchases were two AR-15-style firearms. She pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing on March 14, 2024. ^[4]

See also

• Gun politics in the United States
• List of mass shootings in the United States in 2024

References