Gunman Dead After Firing 100+ Shots In Roseville; One Officer Shot In Face
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) -- Roseville police say an officer was shot in the face in the line of duty Tuesday night, and a suspect is dead after he allegedly fired roughly 100 rounds in the span of an hour.
Police say officers were called to the 2900 block of Owasso Boulevard at 7:30 p.m. after receiving multiple reports of shots fired at homes. When officers arrived, they "immediately came under fire with continuous rifle rounds," according to Roseville Chief Erika Scheider.
The suspect moved around a wooded area in the residential neighborhood, and during the altercation, a Roseville officer was struck in the face by gunfire. The officer is in their third year with Roseville police, and is in stable condition as of Wednesday morning.
At roughly 8:30 p.m., another Roseville officer found the suspect and fired their weapon. The suspect, a 53-year-old man who lived in the area, was taken to the hospital but died soon after. Scheider, during a press conference on Wednesday, would not confirm whether the suspect killed themselves or was killed by the Roseville officer's gunfire.
"Knowing innocent lives were on the line, they ran to the threat and they did exactly what they were trained to do. All of this knowing that their partner had just been struck by gunfire," Scheider said.
During the hour-long encounter, Scheider said the suspect fired roughly 100 rounds at officers and at nearby homes. She added the suspect had a history of mental health calls with Roseville police.
Several homes had bullet holes in the siding. One neighbor described how a bullet went through his bedroom window just a few feet from where he was standing. His car parked in the driveway was shot six times, he said. Several other vehicles had tires shot out. Neighbors believe the shooter was treating the area like target practice.
The calm after the storm of bullets that rained across the neighborhood wasn't enough to ease Kyle McDonald on Wednesday afternoon.
"Tougher today even than it was last night just realizing that all the neighbors' houses were shot at and it was close calls, couple of the houses," McDonald said.
He lives next door to the man who police say used a rifle to fire dozens of rounds at homes, cars, and ultimately police responding to the 911 calls.
Ellie Berner says the sound was close enough to hear even from her basement. It's where she sought shelter with her baby boy.
"I could hear the gunshots going on," Berner said. "I was hoping for no desperate means of defending ourselves," she said.
McDonald didn't take any chances either.
"I did load my own firearm just for our safety for just in case. We turned all the lights off and just kind of hunkered down," he said.
Mike Garbisch was on his porch when he heard the shots.
"I'm sitting out here on my glider and I hear a pop-pop-pop-pop," he said.
He realized it was the sound of gunfire.
"I hear a voice saying, 'Go north!' ... He goes, 'This is the police, there's a shooting!'" Garbisch said.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has taken over the investigation and are working to collect evidence from a crime scene that stretches roughly three blocks. All Roseville police officers were wearing body cameras, and the footage has been handed over to the BCA, Scheider said.
The police chief says the crime scene in Roseville could stay active for days.
The suspect's identity will be released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner in the coming days.
