BURNSVILLE, MN — Just over a day after the shooting claimed the lives of three first responders. The name of the man behind a shooting in Burnsville, Minnesota has been confirmed.
Shannon Gooden, 38, died after firing at first responders. He fatally shot himself, according to the coroner's report.
Burnsville Police Officers Matthew Ruge and Paul Elmstrand and EMT Adam Finseth died Sunday morning while responding to a call for help. Burnsville Sergeant Adam Medlicott was also injured but released from the hospital as of Monday afternoon.
Police say an armed man barricaded himself in a Burnsville home with seven children in tow.
Related: Who were the police officers and paramedics who were shot and killed in Burnsville?
Gooden's name first came to light in the scanner report. Dispatchers confirmed that a man named Shannon had barricaded himself in a Burnsville home.
People close to the investigation later identified him as Gooden, including the mother of the three children who were in the home at the time of the shooting.
WCCO then used a background check to connect him to the address where the shooting occurred Sunday morning.
Property records also show Gooden was renting the home where first responders arrived.
Gooden was convicted of disorderly conduct in 2004 and 2005, and was also convicted of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in 2007, according to court records.
Related: City of Burnsville warns of crowdfunding scam involving slain first responder
In 2020, Gooden petitioned the court to have his right to own a firearm restored.
“Mr. Gooden has taken significant steps to demonstrate his worth as a productive, law-abiding citizen,” the petition reads. She also said that by allowing his gun rights to be restored, “he will be able to protect not only himself, but his family as well.”
That petition was denied.
Gooden had five children and two other children he cared for with his girlfriend. WCCO does not have updated information on them, but we were told they made it out of the home safely.
Related: Wife of fallen Burnsville police officer Paul Elmstrand: 'He had to do what he thought was right'
Gooden's videos on social media show his interest in guns. He had been seen firing a weapon several times and was known to have several guns and ammunition in his home, according to scanner reports.
Gooden's friends say they can't believe he would be involved in such a tragedy.
Gooden and woman with three children talk about conflict
A mother of three who survived a deadly confrontation in Burnsville is sharing what happened inside her home.
In an interview with WCCO's Reg Chapman, Noemi Torres said her 12-year-old daughter was in the bedroom with Gooden the entire time.
Torres has three children with Shannon Gooden. She said her daughter tried to escape the chaos by hiding in the bathtub.
The girl said Gooden began firing through the window, causing shards of glass to fall on her. Torres said Gooden told her daughter he loved her before he killed himself.
His girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter was also in the room and called for help, saying she wasn't breathing.
Torres said her two sons are deaf and hard of hearing. The 15-year-old boy was asleep when he was woken up by a loud bang.
Her 12-year-old boy was in the room next to his father. He said he heard a loud noise and took his two young children to a closet, where they got into the fetal position.
After Gooden committed suicide, all the children fled to safety.
Torres said her three children are now back with her.
She said it was unfortunate that three first responders died.
She said if any red flags emerge in a custody battle, the court should look into it further.
