Wife of cop killed trying to save hostages shares moment she knew he was dead
The wife of a brave police officer who was shot while trying to save hostages has shared the heartbreaking moment she knew her husband had died.
Cindy Elmstrand-Castruita's husband, Paul Elmstrand, was one of the first responders at a house in Burnsville, Minnesota. A man named Shannon Cortez Gooden had fired several shots from inside the house, where he was holding seven hostage.
Sadly, Paul and two other brave men, Matthew Ruge, 27, and Adam Finseth, 40, were killed during the incident. Now, Cindy, who is a mum to their two young children, a two year old and a five-month-old, has paid a touching tribute to her hero husband.
Cindy shared how she felt confused when she received a message of sympathy from a friend. Then, she saw a police car pull up outside her house. Even before the officers got out of the car and walked to her front door, she knew that her husband, Paul, was gone.
The wife of a hero cop, who was high school sweethearts with her husband Paul, is left devastated. Paul lost his life trying to save others during a police standoff. She said: "I looked out my bedroom window and saw a squad car out there. I knew. That's when I knew he was gone." She remembers Paul, only 27 years old, as a man full of kindness and love.
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Cindy Elmstrand-Castruita described her husband Paul as the 'most generous, loving, patient person' she knew (Cindy Elmstrand/Facebook)Shannon Gooden, 38, barricaded himself with seven kids and a woman, shooting at the police who arrived because of a domestic violence call in Burnsville, a town not far from Minneapolis. Paul, another young policeman named Matthew Ruge, and Adam Finseth, a fireman and EMS worker, were all killed by Gooden.
After hours of chaos that morning, Gooden took his own life, ending the shootout. Another police officer suffered minor injuries, the police say. The woman and children are safe.
The cause of death for the attacker, Gooden, hasn't been confirmed yet. Nor has the reason for the violent rampage, which is still being looked into by police. Gooden already had previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon. The call to the police was made by the mother, who was scared for her children's safety, it was reported.
Andrew Finseth, 40, a firefighter and paramedic, was also slain in the shootout (City of Burnsville)
Matthew Ruge, 27, was the other officer slain in the shootout (City of Burnsville)Reports say that officers Paul and Ruge were killed when the attack started, while officer Finseth was killed when he came to help the injured officer. The wounded cop was treated at a hospital and then sent home.
Cindy spoke to CBS News after it all happened, saying: "I think he just had to be the hero. He had to do what he thought was right to protect those little lives even if it meant putting his at risk, and it breaks my heart because now he's gone. But I know that he thought what he did was right."
Burnsville shooter Shannon Gooden killed threeShe remembers him as the "most generous, loving, patient person" who would "drop everything to help someone who was in need." He joined the Burnsville Police Department in 2017 and was part of the department's mobile command staff.
Officer Ruge had joined the force in 2020 and was a member of the department's crisis negotiation team and also a physical evidence officer. Officer Finseth had worked as both a firefighter and a paramedic.
"Our law enforcement community is heartbroken. We're just devastated at the horrific loss," said the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association about the three men. "These heroes leave behind loved ones and a community who will forever remember their bravery and dedication to keeping Minnesotans safe."
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