In a tragic incident that shook the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville, Shannon Cortez Gooden, a 38-year-old man, took the lives of two police officers and a firefighter-paramedic before dying by suicide. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner confirmed Gooden's cause of death, bringing a grim conclusion to a tense standoff that unfolded over the weekend.
Gooden, who was armed with multiple firearms and a significant amount of ammunition, had barricaded himself inside a residence with seven children, ranging from 2 to 15 years old. The situation escalated rapidly when officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, along with Adam Finseth, 40, a paramedic and firefighter, responded to what was initially reported as a domestic violence call. The officers and Finseth were fatally shot during the attempt to negotiate with Gooden, who engaged them from various positions within the house. Another officer, Sgt. Adam Medlicott, sustained injuries but is expected to recover.
The deadly confrontation occurred in the early hours of a Sunday, with law enforcement called to the scene around 1:50 a.m. The officers faced gunfire from multiple areas of the home, leading to a volatile exchange of shots. Gooden's death was reported approximately six hours later, marking a tragic end to the standoff.
Court records revealed that Gooden had a history of legal issues, including a conviction for second-degree assault in 2007, which resulted in a prohibition against him owning firearms. Despite efforts by his attorney, Mathew K. Higbee, to restore his gun rights in 2020, arguing that Gooden had rehabilitated and was not a danger to the community, the motion was denied without explicit reasoning in the court order.
The incident also brought to light Gooden's tumultuous relationship with Noemi Torres, the mother of his three oldest children. Legal disputes over custody and child support had intensified, with allegations of neglect and abuse exchanged between Gooden and Torres. The standoff happened just days before a scheduled court hearing regarding these issues. Torres recounted Gooden's threatening statements prior to the tragic events, indicating a premeditated confrontation with law enforcement.
This harrowing episode has left the community of Burnsville in mourning, as they remember the lives of the dedicated officers and paramedic lost in the line of duty. The investigation into the incident continues, as authorities and the public seek to understand the circumstances that led to such a devastating outcome.
