Two police officers and a paramedic were killed in a shooting at a single-family home, Minnesota State Police said.
A gunman barricaded himself in a Burnsville home with seven children and opened fire as officers tried to negotiate with him.
The names of the officers who died were Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27 years old, and the paramedic was Adam Finseth, 40.
The assailant also died in the incident after a domestic violence call was received early Sunday morning.
Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz said all members were “injured,” and Minnesota Gov.
Tim Walz called it “a tragic loss for our state.”Police were called to an address in Burnsville, a city about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of downtown Minneapolis, around 1:50 a.m. local time (7:50 GMT), state authorities said.
Supt Drew Evans of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Enforcement said they responded to a “report of a domestic situation” involving an armed man.
Emergency services later learned that seven children, ranging in age from 2 to 15 years, were also “barricaded” on the property.
They spent “a significant amount of time negotiating with this individual.”The gunman then opened fire, killing three victims and sustaining life-threatening injuries to a fourth officer, Adam Medlicott.
Details of what happened next are still unclear, but Supt Evans admitted that police had “fired back”. Local media reported that the gunman committed suicide.
Supt Evans said he had “multiple weapons and a large amount of ammunition” and fired shots at first responders from various parts of the home.
His name hasn’t been decided yet. The man was found dead around 8 a.m., and the other residents of the home escaped unharmed.
Neighbours in the quiet residential area said they felt fear as the incident escalated. Jason Skog recalled seeing a large police and SWAT presence in his neighborhood.
He described the sounds of explosions and gunshots and said it was immediately clear that “something bad was going on.”An investigation into the incident is ongoing and condolences have been paid by rescue workers in the area and beyond.
A candlelight vigil for the victims was held Sunday night.
The incident comes days after a mass shooting in another Midwestern state left one person dead and 21 injured in Missouri.
The victim was in the crowd watching the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory parade after the NFL team won the Super Bowl earlier this month.
Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the attack.