Video of alleged Burnsville shooter Shannon Cortez Gooden doing target practice goes viral on Twitter 

On February 18, two police officers and a fire department paramedic from Burnsville, Minnesota, were shot and killed on duty.

First responders were called to the 126000 block of 33rd Avenue S., around 2 am following an alleged domestic abuse call, as per Star Tribune. However, they were unable to communicate with the house's residents. Following a standoff of several hours and negotiating with the gunman located inside - with a woman and seven kids (aged between 2 and 15) - the gunman opened fire at law enforcement, taking down three officers early in the morning.

As the paramedic tended to them, he too was shot, and killed.

Disclaimer: This article contains details about a shooting that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.

So far, the victims have been identified as Burnsville Police Department officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27 years old, and paramedic Adam Finseth, aged 40.

Police Seargent Adam Medlicott was injured at the scene and later hospitalized. He is expected to live.

The gunman later killed himself using the same weapon. In the wake of this horrifying Burnsville incident, netizens on X dug out a video of a man named Shannon Cortez Gooden target practicing and alleged him as the dead shooter.

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Twitteratti reportedly identifies Burnsville shooter

On Sunday morning around 5:30 a.m., two police officers and one fire department paramedic lost their lives in a middle-class neighborhood near Terrace Oaks East Park on the southeastern side of Burnsville, Minnesota. Another police personnel was left injured but is expected to recover.

After the incident, the shooter, who earlier barricaded himself inside the home, put the trigger at his head and committed suicide before he could be taken into custody. Twitteratti reportedly identified the gunman as Shannon Cortez Gooden.

A video shows the accuser in target practice in a garage with a rifle and saying he was envisioning a “white person” as his target. He is also heard joking that a woman out of frame is “expendable” while waving his gun around and standing beside and talking to a white guy.

As per @AlphaNewsMN’s X account, the alleged Burnsville gunman Shannon Cortez Gooden was 38 years old and was previously convicted in 2008 of an alleged felony assault.

As per @Dapper_Det, in 2020, he reportedly petitioned to restore his gun rights.

Meanwhile, @CrimeWatchMpls posted on X that the alleged Burnsville shooter was wanted by the police for second-degree sexual misconduct.

Here are some of the reactions to the offender's alleged identity under @libsoftiktok’s and @Dapper_Det's tweets.

During a Sunday media conference, Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz stated:

"This is a hard day. It's a really hard day for our public safety family. We're hurting… Today three members of our team made the ultimate sacrifice for this community. They are heroes."

Likewise, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X,

"We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day. My heart is with their families today and the entire State of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evan told the press that the gunman shot from the upper floors of the house at an armored vehicle stationed in front.

Star Tribune sources reported that other occupants of the house were rescued without injuries. An investigation is currently ongoing.

On Sunday noon, hundreds of officers from Burnsville law enforcement and several others from adjoining cities turned up outside the Minnesota City Hall alongside the public and stood vigil. Later, a procession happened around dusk as the national flag-draped corpses of the victims were carried in a procession.

Paul Elmstrand was a five-year veteran and served on the Burnsville Police Department’s mobile command staff, peer team, honor guard, and field training unit. He joined the force as a community service officer in 2017 and was promoted to the officer rank in 2019.

Matthew Ruge had been with the department since April 2020 and was part of the crisis negotiation team, acting as a physical evidence officer. Adam Finseth was a firefighter and paramedic from February 2019.