BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Multiple law enforcement sources and next-door neighbors on Monday revealed the identity of the man who killed two police officers and an EMT before killing himself as Shannon Cortez Gooden.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner confirmed the identity early Tuesday, revealing that Gooden died of a gunshot to the head Monday and declaring his cause of death as suicide.
The 38-year-old was prohibited from possessing firearms as the result of a 2008 2nd-degree felony assault with a deadly weapon conviction, according to court documents.
In 2019, 11 years after that conviction, Gooden petitioned the court to restore his firearm rights. Gooden wrote in an affidavit, "I would like to be able to protect not only myself but my family as well. I completed an anger management course as well as a parenting course."
Gooden noted that he had five children, ranging in age from 11 months to 11 years old when he signed the sworn statement in December 2019 and noted that he provided for his girlfriend's two kids, who were 8 and 10 at that time.
"I have undergone tremendous personal and professional growth since my conviction," Gooden wrote. "I greatly regret and have learned from the poor decisions of my past. I would like to have a second chance to prove myself as a productive member of society."
“He is a good man to his peers and his family,” one longtime friend added to the petition filed in August of 2020. “He has personally guided me and many others through some very tough times all through the kindness of his heart.”
First District Court Judge Dannia Edwards denied the request in October 2020, according to court records.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is now investigating how Gooden was able to obtain the firearms used in Sunday's shooting.
On Feb. 18 at approximately 2 a.m., Gooden opened fire on first responders from a second-floor window of the house he rented on 33rd Avenue South in Burnsville, according to KARE 11 News sources. Police were responding to a call of a domestic situation involving a man who barricaded himself with his family inside the house. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said seven children ages 2-15 were inside the home.
Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, along with firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth were killed. Police Sgt. Adam Medlicott was injured and taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, according to Burnsville officials.
Court records show Gooden had two order for protection petitions filed against him, one alleging domestic abuse and the other alleging domestic assault. The Associated Press reports that the deadly standoff with police came only two days before a scheduled district court hearing over his ongoing legal disputes with the mother of his three oldest children.
The attorney representing Gooden in that dispute, Robert Manson, did not return a telephone message from the AP seeking comment. There was no answer Monday evening at a phone listing for a woman described in court records as Gooden's girlfriend.
In 2017, the mother of at least one of Gooden's children alleged that Gooden head-butted her face -- causing a concussion and black eye -- and threw her down the stairs. The court dismissed the court action because the woman failed to appear in court.
In 2020, the mother of at least three of Gooden's children alleged that Gooden cut her clothes with a knife, causing her to fall down the stairs. She also said Gooden would pull her hair, throw her against the wall, and would let his family members assault her. The woman claimed she believed Gooden was going to kill her, but the court dismissed the court action because the allegations were not proven.
The Dakota County Attorney's Office noted the domestic incidents while arguing that Gooden should not have his firearm rights restored, In addition, the prosecutor noted other incidents in Gooden's criminal history that included:
- A 2004 conviction for disorderly conduct
- A 2005 conviction for disorderly conduct in which he hit the phone out of the hand of a woman who was calling police on him
- The underlying 2008 conviction in which Gooden pulled out a 7-inch knife during a fight at a shopping center and then threw rocks at a woman's car
"Petitioner's history of disobeying the law and posing a threat to public safety coupled with an insignificant passage of time demonstrates that, at this time, Petitioner has not demonstrated he can safely possess firearms," Assistant Dakota County Attorney Amelia Jadoo wrote.
For several years, Gooden was employed at LaMettry Collision in Burnsville, which provided the following statement:
We are shocked and saddened by the news of this horror and tragedy. Burnsville police officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge and firefighter/paramedic Adam Finseth risked everything and made the ultimate sacrifice. Our deepest sympathy and continuous prayers go out to these fallen first responders, their families, friends, loved ones, and colleagues.
We can confirm that Shannon Cortez Gooden was employed at LaMetry’s Collision in Burnsville as a journeyman painter for over a decade. LaMettry’s is committed to providing whatever assistance it can to law enforcement authorities as they investigate this terrible event and has no further comment at this time.
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