Police surround Mo. home after gunman allegedly fires at emergency crews

[michiganDT]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25781236/

MAPLEWOOD, Mo. - Police armed with rifles surrounded a house with smoke pouring from its windows on Monday, after a gunman reportedly fired shots at emergency workers.

The incident began unfolding shortly before 6 a.m. in Maplewood, a St. Louis suburb.

At least two ambulances hurried away from the scene amid media reports that emergency workers may have been shot. Authorities were unable to confirm if whether or not anyone was hurt.
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The burning house was believed to be that of the gunman, and authorities thought he was barricaded inside. Reports said a vehicle across the street also exploded and was burning.

Because of the threat from the gunman, firefighters weren't immediately able to put out the fire at the house or the vehicle.

Some residents living nearby had been evacuated.

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

[velobard]

The firefighter has died, two police are wounded. Firefighter was only 22, son of former mayor of the town.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...6?OpenDocument

BTW, it says one officer's life may have been saved because the bullet hit his badge first. He's still in rough shape.

[deputy x 2]

Let it burn to the ground.

Rest in peace Ryan.

[ExplorerE321]

huh, starting to look like a shi*ty year for st. louis AGAIN

[Mrs. Hoppes]

Why do people do these things?

[deputy x 2]

Why do people do these things?

Misplaced aggression....suicide by cop...mental....drugs.......nowadays...the reasoning could be anything.

[exdrip]

that just ****es me off

I hope this goes through without anymore friendly casualties

[velobard]

Ryan Hummert

[stlcopper]

I say let the F***er cremate himself. Hopefully he ran out of ammo so that he couldn't shoot himself before he burns to death!

[JimK.]

Last I heard the shooter killed himself. I guess that makes it a little easier for the officers involved, no OIS investigation. But it still sucks that he felt the need to take the life of a fireman and shoot two cops before he did himself in. He should have just shot himself first.

[velobard]

Latest report is that authorities are sifting the remains of the house to see if they can find the body of the gunman. No indications at this point of what happened to him, they just saying they don't have evidence that he ever left the house.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...6?OpenDocument

[Robocop007]

Latest report is that authorities are sifting the remains of the house to see if they can find the body of the gunman. No indications at this point of what happened to him, they just saying they don't have evidence that he ever left the house.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...6?OpenDocument

Yeah, he's got to be burnt to a crisp in there somewhere BUT in that very small chance he's not in there that would be SHOCKING. Can you imagine the reaction if they search the burnt house and find out he's not there???!

Hypothetically how could he have gotten away when 2 police and a firefighter were already there and tons more were on the way?? If he had somehow snuck out through the backyard then wouldn't the neighbors or someone have noticed something?

[chesdarithp]

That is why I'm an anti-gun advocate...If guns weren't so easily available to the general public, I believe incidents like this would be minimal, or non-existent.

[velobard]

That is why I'm an anti-gun advocate...If guns weren't so easily available to the general public, I believe incidents like this would be minimal, or non-existent.

See how well that approach has worked out in places like Australia. Restrictions on guns, by and large, affect only the law-abiding element. The bad guys still get them, or simply move on to other methods of violence. Without guns, the "good guys" are stripped of a primary means of self-defense.

[velobard]

Minor update. Investigators have located a gun in the ashes of the home, but so far so sign of a body. The names of the wounded LEOs have been released.

The gunman — believed to be hiding in or near a home across the street — also shot two Maplewood police officers. One of them, Adam Fite, 28, a former Jefferson County sheriff's deputy, was critically wounded. The second officer, Maplewood police Sgt. Michael Martin, was shot in the right shoulder. He has been released from the hospital, Langston said today.

Martin has been Maplewood at least 20 years, the mayor said. Martin was off-duty when the fire call came out on Zephyr. He had just finished the night shift and was filling out some paperwork at the police station on Manchester Road. Martin responded to Zephyr when he heard there was a problem, Langston said.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/new...F?OpenDocument