Burnsville Shooter Was 'Responsible' Father, Friends Said In 2020

BURNSVILLE, MN — Police identified the man who killed two Burnsville officers and a firefighter Sunday as Shannon Cortez Gooden.

Gooden barricaded himself inside a home during a "domestic situation" that turned deadly, according to authorities. Gooden fatally shot Burnsville Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and Firefighter Adam Finseth.

He also shot and injured Sgt. Adam Medlicott, who was hospitalized before being released on Monday.

Here are four things to know about Burnsville shooter Shannon Gooden:

Gooden's friends tried to help him get his gun rights restored

Gooden lost his right to own a gun due to a 2007 felony assault conviction. He petitioned to have his gun rights restored in 2020 but was rejected by the state court.

In his unsuccessful petition, Gooden and his friends argued that he had "undergone tremendous personal and professional growth since his conviction."

Gooden "greatly regrets and has learned from the poor decisions of his past. He would like to have a second chance to prove himself as a productive member of society," the petition added.

Friends also said Gooden was a "responsible" and "reliable" man who worked hard to care for his children.

Gooden received his associate's degree from Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount in 2013, the petition noted.

Gooden fathered at least five children

Court documents from August 2020 showed that Gooden was the father of at least five children. Their ages were listed as 8, 10, 11, 2, and 11 months old.

The same court document states that Gooden "also provides for his girlfriend's two kids who are 8 and 10 years old."

There were seven children ages 2-15 in the home at the time of the shooting on Sunday, police said.

Gooden barricaded himself Sunday before killing three first responders and injuring a fourth

Police were called at 1:50 a.m. Sunday to the 12600 block of 33rd Avenue South for a report of a domestic situation in which a man was reported to be armed and barricaded with family, authorities said. After their arrival, the situation escalated into gunfire, with Elmstrand, Ruge, and Finseth killed by the gunman during the response.

Sgt. Adam Medlicott was taken to a hospital with injuries and was released Monday.

Gooden took his own life

After killing the two officers and firefighter, Gooden fatally shot himself in the head Sunday, according to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.