Two officers, medic killed responding to Minn. domestic call
Community ‘heartbroken’ after ‘horrific’ shooting
Two police officers and a paramedic were fatally shot early Sunday while responding to a domestic abuse call in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville, authorities said, adding that the shooter also died.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the police officers and paramedic were responding to a call of a “family in danger,” and that at least one other officer was wounded. The paramedic was shot while trying to help an officer, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day,” Walz said on a social media. “My heart is with their families today, and the entire State of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”
The identities of the victims and the shooter were not immediately released. No information was available on a possible motive or how the shooter died. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was investigating the shooting and said details would be released upon completion of a preliminary investigation.
Brian Peters, executive director of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, said the law enforcement community was “heartbroken.”
“We’re just devastated at the horrific loss,” he said in a statement. “These heroes leave behind loved ones and a community who will forever remember their bravery and dedication to keeping Minnesotans safe.”
Pat Knaeble, a retired fire captain and paramedic with the Burnsville Fire Department, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he awoke Sunday to a chaotic scene outside his home.
Knaeble, 68, said he watched SWAT team members bring three victims to the front of his house and into waiting ambulances. Having a fellow firefighter shot was hard to comprehend, he said.
“Firefighters never get shot,” Knaeble said. “For that to happen is a huge fluke and just very, very sad. It’s like losing a family member.”
Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the incident “horrific” and said shootings of officers have risen 60%.
“The war on cops rages on. When have we had enough, America?” he said.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in a social media post that three officers were shot while “doing their jobs. They were protecting our community.” She said she and her husband were praying for the victims, their families “and the Burnsville P.D. this morning.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, in a social media post, asked that people “keep Burnsville Police in your prayers.”
Burnsville is a Dakota County city of 65,000 people less than 20 miles south of downtown Minneapolis. The city boasts on its website of being the ninthlargest suburb in the metro area and a “commuter’s dream” because of easy access to Minneapolis and St. Paul.
“Burnsville is a community where residents feel safe and welcome to be themselves,” the city’s website says. “Visitors find a place they want to come back to again and again, businesses are positioned for success, and city staff and team members find meaningful work and opportunities to grow and evolve.”