BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Two police officers and a first responder were killed in a shooting in Burnsville, Minnesota on Sunday, according to the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. Negotiations with the suspect lasted for four hours before a SWAT team entered the home, where seven children were found.
Details about how the suspect died were not immediately disclosed.
The suburban neighborhood where the shooting took place was cordoned off with police cars, and the deaths were confirmed by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association. No further details were released about the events leading up to the shooting in the tree-lined neighborhood with two-story homes. There was visible bullet damage to the windshield of a police armored vehicle parked nearby, but it was not confirmed whether the damage was related to the incident.
Governor Tim Walz stated on Facebook that in addition to the three killed, other officers were injured. “We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day. My heart is with their families today and the entire State of Minnesota stands with Burnsville,” he said.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Law Enforcement Labor Services, expressed solidarity and condolences. The organization’s executive director, Jim Mortenson, offered thoughts and prayers to the families of the officers and first responder who responded to the call for help.
Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota also offered support, stating, “Today serves as another solemn reminder that those who protect our communities do so at great personal risk.”
Burnsville, a city of around 64,000 people, is located about 15 miles south of downtown Minneapolis.