Kare11
Burnsville shooting suspect identified by sources
In 2020, Shannon Gooden petitioned to have his firearm rights restored but was denied by a judge.
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — Multiple law enforcement sources, as well as next-door neighbors, have confirmed to KARE 11 News the identity of the man who killed two police officers and an EMT before killing himself as Shannon Cortez Gooden.
The medical examiner’s office will confirm the identity, however, KARE 11’s sources and court documents also link Gooden to the address in Sunday’s shooting.
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.
Eleven years later, in 2019, 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, as well as noting 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.”
First District Court Judge Dannia Edwards denied the request in October 2020, according to court records.
On at 2 a.m. on Feb. 18, 2024, 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 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. 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.
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 proved.
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:
- 2004 conviction for disorderly conduct
- 2005 conviction for disorderly conduct in which he hit the phone out of the hand of a woman calling police on him
- The underlying 2008 conviction in which Gooden pulled out a 7-inch knife during a fight at a shopping center 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 Lakeville, according to public records.
More coverage of the Burnsville shootings on YouTube:
The investigation began after prosecutors in the Feeding our Future meal fraud case found connections between fraudulent meal sites and autism centers.
MINNEAPOLIS — The FBI raided two Minnesota autism centers, one in Minneapolis and one in St. Cloud, as part of a federal investigation into medical fraud that has ties to the $250 million Feeding Our Future child meal fraud case, according to a search warrant unsealed Thursday morning.
Smart Therapy Center, LLC on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis’ Steven’s Square neighborhood and Star Autism Center LLC on 1st Street Nort in St. Cloud both registered with the Minnesota Department of Human Services in the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) health care program funded by taxpayers to offer medically necessary services to people under 21 living with autism spectrum disorder.
Federal investigators have found “substantial evidence” that many companies, including Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, have been submitting fraudulent claims for EIDBI services that were not provided or that were not covered by EIDBI program, according to the search warrant affidavit. No one has been criminally charged yet in the alleged scheme.
Also in the search warrant affidavit written by Special Agent Kurt Beulke:
Smart Therapy received $13.8 million in reimbursement from Medicaid through DHS between 2020 and November 2024 for claims the FBI believes are fraudulent. A former employee, identified as “Individual A,” told investigators one owner is related to Qamar Hassan, a defendant who has already pleaded guilty in the Feeding our Future case. Hassan also was a food vendor for a meal site run by Smart Therapy.
“Individual A” told investigators many kids receiving services at Smart Therapy did not appear to be autistic, and that the owner actively recruited new clients “by talking to parents they knew and even knocking on doors in the community and trying to talk parents into getting their children into autism treatment.” The informant also told the feds the owners paid parents to bring their children to Smart Therapy.
The search warrant says Smart Therapy’s claims included services supposedly rendered by medical providers who did not work there or were out of the country at the time of the supposed treatment. The investigation is also centered on overbilling, with claims regarding 33 different medical providers adding up to an impossible 50 hours per week.
The number of autism centers and the dollar amount of reimbursement claims in Minnesota have exploded since the pandemic. A total of $32.4 million in Medicaid funds were paid out to autism centers in 2020. That number ballooned to $228 million so far this year. (The dollar figures used here, provided by DHS through data practice requests from months ago, differ from the numbers in the federal search warrant.)
Star Autism Center in St. Cloud has received $6 million in Medicaid reimbursements since August 2020, allegedly by similarly billing for providers who did not work there or were overseas, and additionally making “improbable” claims.
In one example, the search warrant said in July 2023, Star Autism Center billed for 430 hours of services from one medical provider every day. One supposed client lived in St. Cloud and the other supposed client lived in Willmar, which made it highly improbable that they both were receiving this many hours of services at the same time from the same medical provider.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services initiated an investigation into Star Autism in 2022 and found irregularities in billing, according to the federal warrant. DHS officials have not immediately responded to questions why the center was able to continue operating.
Joel Zeff emphasizes that it’s important to keep your office culture joyful and inspiring.
Do you have fun when you’re at work?
Author and speaker Joel Zeff emphasizes that it’s important for employees to have a joyful and inspiring workplace. He recently wrote a book about work culture titled, “Make the Right Choice: Lead with Passion, Elevate Your Team, and Unleash the Fun at Work.”
Zeff recommends the book to business leaders, managers and anyone who wants to try a more fun and fulfilling approach to work. He visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more on his book.
Three tips that he recommended to embrace fun at work are:
1. Create opportunity and positive support.
2. Embrace change. Be prepared for change. Be open and flexible to change.
Whether you’re craving a peppermint mocha or a holiday-themed drink, Klassics Kitchen & Cocktails is offering options in Minneapolis.
Brittney Klass, the owner and beverage director, visited KARE 11 News at Noon to share more about the seasonal offerings.
The kitchen includes C.R.E.A.M., a coffee shop with several holiday offerings including a Grinch-themed coffee flight. On the kitchen and cocktails side of the business, the company offers private dining and chef dinner experiences.
How Donald Trump reacted to Christopher Wray’s decision to resign from FBI
Luigi Mangione defense questions as new evidence is pinned in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting
Why are drones flying over New Jersey? Senator Booker wants to know.
How Donald Trump reacted to Christopher Wray’s decision to resign from FBI
Luigi Mangione defense questions as new evidence is pinned in UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting