Burnsville first responders shooting: Report reveals full timeline of standoff
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A new report gives a thorough timeline of the standoff shooting in Burnsville last February that left three first responders dead.
The report comes as part of the Dakota County Attorney's Office's determination that police were justified in using force during the standoff. It should be noted, that the gunman, Shannon Gooden, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound – not from the shots fired by police.
911 call
As previously reported, officers were called in the early morning hours of Feb. 18, 2024, to the home of Shannon Gooden on 33rd Avenue South in Burnsville for the report of a sexual assault.
According to the new report, Gooden's girlfriend, Ashley Drydahl, called 911 to report the sexual assault. However, on the call she screamed "Help me" and the call ended abruptly. Operators weren't able to reach her again on the phone.
When officers pulled up to the home, Drydahl met them in the driveway. She said there were seven children in the home, ages 5 to 15. She alleged that Gooden was sexually abusing one of the children and had found text messages on the child's phone that were sexual in nature and "indicated a sexual act had just occurred between the two."
Reviewing Gooden's phone after the shooting, police found nearly 1,000 images of the child – most of which they said were "pornographic work."
Even more concerning, Drydahl said Gooden had access to guns and had threatened to "take everyone out with him" if police were called.
Since then, Drydahl has been charged with buying the guns for Gooden – who was a convicted felon and not allowed to own firearms.
Entering Gooden's home
Three Burnsville police officers entered the home through the garage. Doors into the home were open and Officer Peter Mueller told Gooden he was under arrest and to exit the home.
Prosecutors say Gooden didn't comply with the order or a request from Officer Mueller to let the children leave the home. Officer Mueller then said the officers would enter the house. Gooden responded by telling them not to.
Officer Mueller and three others, including Sgt. Adam Medlicott, went inside. Prosecutors say the officers had their guns drawn and had ballistic shields.
However, inside the home, they couldn't see Gooden in the dark but heard his voice coming from upstairs.
Two more officers, including Officer Matthew Ruge, entered the home next, joining the other three in a dining area. At that point, Officer Mueller spotted one of the children on the upper level where Gooden was. Due to the high-risk situation, the officers decided they should try to negotiate with Gooden so as not to put the children in harm's way.
Negotiations
Officer Ruge took the lead in the negotiations, which began around 2 a.m.
Gooden confirmed he was on the upper level of the home and children were near him. Police could see at least two kids walking on the same level.
Gooden denied having a weapon but officers thought they could see something in his hands – but couldn't tell for sure if it was a gun because it was still dark inside the home.
He warned that negotiations would take hours "because he wanted to spend time with his children" the report states. He kept asking Officer Ruge how many officers were at the home and what they were doing.
Officer Ruge tried to convince Gooden to surrender peacefully.
At about 3:45 a.m., officers called in Burnsville Emergency Action Group, a tactical team consisting of specially-trained police officers and firefighters-paramedics, including Officer Javier Jiminez, a trained sniper.
At 4:10 a.m., the South Metro SWAT team was called in to bring in a Bearcat armored vehicle. The vehicle arrived shortly before 5 a.m. – kept out of sight of Gooden to avoid escalating the situation.
Officers discussed what to do next, ultimately opting to let Officer Ruge continue negotiations as it seemed he was building a rapport with Gooden.
Bullet holes in a vehicle after a police shooting in Burnsville on Feb. 18, 2024. (FOX 9)
The shooting
As officers went back in the home to tell Ruge to continue negotiations, Gooden suddenly and without warning opened fire on officers inside the home at 5:25 a.m. At that point, six officers were in the home: Ofcs. Ruge, Paul Elmstrand, Cody Johnson, Alex Wurst, Daniel Wical, and Sgt. Medlicott.
Sgt. Medlicott was struck in the forearm and fell to the floor, using a ballistic shield to cover his head. Behind him, he saw Officer Elmstrand who was bleeding badly from the head from a gunshot wound. It was clear Elmstrand needed immediate help and officers called for someone to "get him out of here."
Sgt. Medlicott provided cover for the other officers as they worked to get Elmstrand to safety, firing five shots toward Gooden's approximate location. Medlicott followed at a point where he believed Gooden was reloading his gun. Medlicott ran to the Bearcat which had pulled into the driveway.
As officers retreated, Officer Wical was able to position himself in the kitchen and fired shots at Gooden's legs as Gooden attempted to fire another volley of shots at police. Gooden was struck once in the thigh from Wical's shots.
Paramedics at the Bearcat started treating Officer Elmstrand, calling in an ambulance for treatment. Officer Ruge approached the paramedic, saying he had been shot in the vest during the initial round of gunfire.
But, around 5:31 a.m., Gooden fired more shots, this time out the window of the home, this time striking Firefighter-Paramedic Adam Finseth and Officer Ruge.
Over the next 13 minutes, Gooden fired a barrage of shots at first responders from different areas on the upper floor of the home.
During these chaotic moments, officers were able to load the injured first responders into the Bearcat and get them to an ambulance.
At one point, as first responders were trying to get to safety, Officer Jiminez, taking cover behind a patrol vehicle with his sniper rifle, was able to spot Gooden leaning out of a window firing shots. Officer Jiminez fired one round with the sniper and saw Gooden retreat into the home.
Officer Jiminez kept scanning the windows with his sniper, watching for Gooden but didn't see him again. Shortly after, a single gunshot was heard inside the home. A short time later, the children inside the home called 911 saying Gooden had shot himself.
By 7 a.m., all the children were able to exit the home.
Aftermath
Officers Ruge and Elmstrand, and firefighter-paramedic Finseth died from their injuries. Inside the home, investigators recovered more than 200 bullet casings from six different areas on the upper level.