Medical Examiner Reveals Cause and Manner of Death for Fallen First Responders

(KNSI) — The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has released the official causes of death for the two police officers and paramedic firefighter who died in the line of duty in Burnsville Sunday morning.

According to the report, 27-year-old officer Paul Elmstrand suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 6:39 a.m. Firefighter paramedic 40-year-old Adam Finseth suffered a gunshot wound in his right arm and torso and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6:46 a.m. Finseth was part of the SWAT team and was shot while providing first aid to another injured officer. Twenty-seven-year-old officer Matthew Ruge suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest and was also taken to HCMC, where he was pronounced dead at 6:33 a.m.

Their deaths have officially been ruled a homicide.

Another officer, Sergeant Adam Medlicott, was also hurt. He has since been released from the hospital and is expected to recover.

The suspect, 38-year-old Shannon Cortez Gooden, died by suicide from a gunshot to the head. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous felony conviction for second degree assault in 2008 but allegedly had numerous firearms and ammunition at the Burnsville home he was renting where the shooting happened. Reports say he fired at officers from different positions in the home, including the upper and lower floors. He was also wanted on a warrant for second degree criminal sexual conduct at the time.

His attorney petitioned to restore Gooden’s gun rights in 2020 but was denied. How Gooden got the guns is part of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation.

Police responded to the home just before 2:00 a.m. for a domestic disturbance call for help. Gooden barricaded himself and seven children, ages two through 15, inside starting at around 2:30. He opened fire on police inside the house roughly three hours later.

None of the children were hurt.

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