[Music] It's midnight at the Shady Oaks apartment complex. A resident is walking back to his apartment when suddenly he's shot by an unidentified man. I was sworn I heard a gunshot or a firecracker down there. I'm not sure which one. >> When police rush to the scene, they're immediately faced with a barrage of gunfire targeting anyone who moves and no idea who or how many shooters are active. All while dozens of innocent lives are at fatal risk. >> More shots being fired right now. >> Just calm down. >> What kind of injury do you have? >> It's a gunshot. >> Okay. Who shot you? >> I don't know. >> Go get her. >> I'm going to get snipers put up on the east side. Yes. >> Get over here. Get over here. >> Get down on the ground now. At approximately 217 a.m. on that Sunday night, officers receive reports of gunshots near Shady Oaks apartment complex. Minutes later, around 2:20 a.m., first responder officer Cody Nem approaches the scene to investigate. Little does he know, the gunshot reports were part of a trap set by the shooters, and he was driving straight into it. >> I think I've been shot. Moments after entering the parking lot, officer Nem is struck by a bullet as multiple shots rang out and immediately radios nearby officers for backup. >> I'm going to the hospital. Dispatch, let know I'm coming. There was a rapid succession of shots. Do you know where it came from? >> It's backed by Shady Oaks. There were more shots back by Shady Oaks. >> Okay, we need to get a perimeter around this building. >> Multiple units nearby are now in route to Shady Oaks. However, the scale of police response will soon grow much larger as officers realize the severity of the situation and the danger posed to the civilians. But for now, as backup units head towards the scene, officer Nehem still uncertain how severe his injuries are. I think I've been shot. >> Yep. Come on in. >> I don't know what the >> go in this room right over here. >> While I'll need him receives urgent medical care, backup officer Christopher Diesson and other units make their way towards Shady Oaks. Completely unaware they're stepping into a deadly 8-hour long standoff. In rapidly chaotic incidents like these, officers have no choice but to make split-second tactical decisions. To fully understand how police manage such dangerous situations, we'll follow every tactic and decision through every stage of the standoff. Starting with Officer Diesson, who's just arrived on scene to a barrage of gunfire erupting unpredictably. >> We don't know what floor they're on. The shots were presumably coming up the front of the building. >> More shots being fired right now. [Music] [ __ ] >> You being shot at? >> You okay? >> I don't know. >> Just calm down. Calm down. >> I only have >> I didn't get hit. What? >> Is that your car? >> Mine over there? Yeah. >> Officer Diesson and other responding officers quickly take position behind a water pump house located near the parking lot on the west side of the complex, but there is a more immediate worry weighing on the officers. Many civilians remain unaware and exposed, and every gunshot could mean another innocent resident being targeted. With dozens of innocent lives at stake, Officer Rz Muen and Tim Harves arrive near Diesson's location on the west side, positioning themselves nearby to help scan the area and pinpoint where the gunfire is coming from. Soon as I got around the corner out here, we started shooting out. >> Me and me and uh decent pull up here. It was what? Three, four shots. >> And when I pulled up here before, we got shot at before. >> So somebody's shooting out the window of the building. >> Chris, can you come over here? >> They're shooting at any law enforcement that comes through. If we if we go out any further, we're going to get shot at. >> If this is an active shooter, we need to get a team ready. We need to probably start dealing with it. >> At this stage, the situation facing officers is extremely dangerous. The Shady Oaks apartment complex contains approximately 126 units. And with near zero visibility and gunshots ringing out unpredictably, police have no way of pinpointing exactly where the shooters are located, whether they're barricaded, mobile, or roaming freely, or even how many shooters are active. What's more alarming is that officers don't yet realize they're dealing with a carefully planned ambush. And the next few minutes will make that terrifyingly clear. >> We want to get eyes on the building. We need to get >> cars there. >> We need to get back over here, right? >> Yeah. So, we're going to have to We're probably going to have Where the [ __ ] is this guy? >> He's close. Yeah, >> he's outside, I bet. >> Okay, >> he's running across. >> You see him? >> He's running. He's running. >> Where? >> Where is he running to? North. >> Ran that way. He ran that direction. Someone south. >> I don't know if he got shot at or what, but someone just ran across the back lot. He's running back. >> I don't know if it was him or someone that got shot at. >> Someone running. >> Correct. They ran out here in that direction. Did you not see? >> No, they're behind the trees here. Other side of the trees. >> What is that? You think that's a high pod rifle or >> something? High calm down. Do not blow me over. >> Shot fired. Shot fired. shot his house. >> It's coming from the front of the building. It impacted the road. I'm going to go forth. >> One of the shots officers just heard was aimed at a resident who stepped outside the building, completely unaware of the active threat. He was struck and immediately ran away. With danger escalating and officers still unsure how many shooters they're dealing with or even where the next shot might come from, their immediate focus shifts to two critical priorities. First, identify and engage the source of the gunfire. Second, secure the perimeter and evacuate civilians inside and outside the building to prevent further casualties. However, officers still don't have a key to access the building from any side, adding a major complication to their plan. So, to move forward, Officer Dies and Harves formulate a tactical plan. One group remains in position, carefully engaging and distracting the shooters to pinpoint their exact locations and number. Meanwhile, a second group cautiously moves around the perimeter, evacuating civilians from areas exposed to gunfire. The evacuation team is about to spread out and begin sweeping the west side of the perimeter. With the shooters identity still unknown, they have to treat everyone they encounter as a potential threat. Come here. Hey, come here. Do you have a key fob to the building? Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> Are you okay? >> Yeah. We're shooting you. You're shooting me. I took out the sidewalk. >> Oh, you're so scared. I'm surprising something. >> I I heard it. I stand in my kitchen doing >> here. And I think it's the second floor. >> So, you think it's the second floor? >> I'm ready for It's the second floor on the far side. >> Okay. >> Go back to your car. Stay in there. Okay. Officer Viz Musen manages to clear this first encounter with a resident safely. But as he moves further into the parking lot, he spots someone he believes might be one of the shooters. [Music] Stop right now. Stop. Turn around. Drop to your knees. I got a guy that just walked out. He's in the parking lot. I got him at gunpoint. I need somebody down here. Stay where you're at right now. Okay. We got somebody shooting from your building right now. Okay. Okay. Okay, take him. Go to him. Stop. Ma'am, come here. Come here. Come here. It's police department. Come here. There's somebody shooting from your building right now. Okay. Keep your hands out of your pockets, please. >> I'm sorry. >> Go to that red car over there. >> Okay. >> Go. The individuals turn out to be residents, completely unaware of the danger they've just narrowly avoided. But Resmusen's attention quickly shifts towards two more residents exiting from the back of the building. One clearly injured and struggling. >> Keith, you got up in the building. This way. This way. >> Okay. Come on. >> Come on. >> Okay. Right here. >> Now, I handed my phone off, so I have no way back. >> Okay. Well, you're not going back in anyway. So, you're fine. >> Are you hurt at all, sir? Or just the one? Excuse me. >> Okay. Come right here. That light pole right there. The light pole. >> Okay. >> What kind of injury do you have? >> It's a gunshot. >> Okay. Who shot you? >> I don't know. I come out that door we just came out of was facing that way and that's when I got shot. >> Okay. Come right over here, sir. Just hop right into the back seat on that side. >> One of the civilians encountered by police is Shady Oaks resident Daniel Thorp. The same person officers spotted running away earlier after being targeted by gunfire. Daniel is now the second confirmed victim following officer Cody needed him. Unfortunately, they won't be the only casualties as the night continues. >> Okay, she has been hit. Get over here. Get over here. >> Get down on the ground now. By now, multiple SWAT teams have been requested to assist with the situation, but Daniel's close call underscores just how deadly the situation remains for the countless residents both inside and outside the complex. Many of them are still going about their night, not even realizing they're in any danger. Thankfully, Officer Viz Muen gained crucial intel from the woman he encountered outside the building. According to her, the shots appear to originate from an apartment on the front side of the building, possibly on the second floor. But most importantly, she provides the officer with a key to access the building. With dozens of innocent lives still at risk, police urgently need to devise a plan to infiltrate the building and evacuate residents before the shooters have a chance to move positions or worse, start targeting residents doortodoor. If the next steps aren't executed perfectly, the consequences could be catastrophic. With this in mind, Officer Tim Harves repositions to a parking lot near Giant Wash Skyline Express just southeast of Shady Oaks to meet with command, await incoming SWAT teams, and strategize their next move. We haven't been able to get >> They were thinking maybe like second floor, but now Chris is saying there's movement on seventh, but there's movement >> all over. If you watch those windows, nobody's identified where or who. >> Once I get more squab bodies in, I'm going to start forming up some perimeter teams to take over on perimeter. I'm going to get snipers put up on the east side. >> Yes. Yeah. So they can all the shots have been coming from the the front of the building. By this stage, police have gained important but conflicting information about the shooters. Witnesses indicate activity on the second floor at the front of the building. Yet, Officer Diesson's group has reported suspicious movement higher up, possibly as high as the seventh floor. With these conflicting reports, the situation remains risky and unpredictable. So, to gain some control, multi-jurisdictional SWAT teams are now in route to help secure the building's perimeter. deploy snipers and infiltrate the complex to evacuate civilians trapped inside. In the meantime, Officer Christopher Dia and his group continue to hold a critical position at the West End, actively scanning the building to pinpoint how many shooters they were dealing with and their locations. >> On fire. On fire. >> That was about 10 minutes. Yep. >> Correct. Correct. Some are moving towards this. >> That did hit across the street. Right across the street from me. Sounded like bird shot. While Officer Diesson's team continues to hold their position on the west side, a critical oversight is exposed in the perimeter setup. Road closures intended to prevent civilian traffic from entering the active shooting zone weren't established quickly enough, allowing unaware drivers to slip through. This major flaw is about to lead to disastrous consequences. What? >> How to control the bleeding? >> How you going? Don't go out there. >> Go, go, go, >> go. >> Get out. >> [ __ ] >> Fortunately, this first vehicle manages to pass without getting hit. But just minutes later, officers spot another set of headlights approaching, heading directly into the line of fire. shortly in >> shots fired. Shots fired. >> Three shots. >> Shots fired. >> No. >> Correct. >> Maybe they're not hitting directly at us. >> Coming north. >> Vehicle. >> Yep. vehicle coming northbound on fourth. >> Officers quickly realized the rapid succession of shots was not directed at them, but at a civilian vehicle passing by the front of Shady Oaks. After being hit, the driver continues forward, eventually stopping on the west side, still within the active firing zone, but close to where officers are positioned. That's when they hear the driver's disturbing screams. Get over here. >> We might have some way to actually [Music] hit. I know. I know. Come on. Let's go. >> Mother [ __ ] I should have known. >> You have a tourniquet on you? >> Yeah. >> Okay. I think it's just through and through. It's >> on your light. >> Help my girlfriend. >> Yeah. So, we can't get up there right now. We cannot get up there right now. >> The injured driver was struck in the leg and is rapidly losing blood. Officers quickly apply a tourniquet to control the bleeding and stabilize him until he can be transported to the hospital. But before they can even catch their breath, another serious problem appears. Other residents and civilians continue to pass close to the active firing zone, oblivious to the lethal danger surrounding them. That's when Officer Dies spots something alarming. Someone riding on a bicycle is suddenly seen riding straight through the active firing zone, heading directly towards officers. >> Guy is leaving on a bike right now. >> If you can stop that guy on the bike, >> get your hands. Get over here. Get over here. Get down on the ground. >> Get down on the ground now. >> I am. What the [ __ ] We got people shooting out of that building now. [ __ ] We don't know if it's you yet. >> No, no, sir. >> We don't know that yet. >> We got him proned out right here. We're checking him. >> I didn't hear no gunshots. >> Are you kidding? >> You guys scared the [ __ ] out of me. >> How do you think we feel? >> Well, I didn't know there was people shooting each other. What's happening over there? >> Get them to crawl over there. >> What's happening over there? >> Over here. Okay. Crawl. Crawl. >> Crawl over here. Come look by the building here where you're safe. All right. Put your hands down again. >> We just had somebody get shot out in the street from here. >> You have anything on you? >> No, sir. Can you take the bag off so you can yank it? You can search me if you take the badge off. >> This bag just has a hammer and some tools. >> Okay. It's not him, obviously. >> Stay down. Stay down. >> Okay. It's obviously not him. >> Okay. Why don't you come up here, sir? Come up by the building where you're safe. >> Okay, now you hear what we're dealing with. Thankfully, officers quickly determined the biker was not a threat, managing to pull him to safety before he was harmed. Immediately afterwards, police units quickly finished establishing roadblocks around the complex, finally preventing further civilians from entering the danger zone. With no targets in sight, the shooting abruptly stops. This brief pause gives officers an opportunity to reassess their positions as they wait for SWAT support. Unaware of the violent escalation just hours away priority. >> Do you think it's gone quiet cuz he just hasn't had anything to shoot at? >> Yeah, possibly. Keep them at a staging point. Keith, we have an armored vehicle on scene here. We'll be sending over, I believe. >> At approximately 4:00 a.m., SWAT armored vehicles finally arrive on the opposite side of the building, marking a critical turning point in the operation. For the first time, officers have the tactical support they need to close in and bring the shooters into custody. >> Yeah, we've got four individuals here now. 313. We need to get them out of here. >> You want to jump in with him? >> Yeah. >> All right, we're coming. Thanks for coming. >> Yeah, >> I know. Our team setting up, too, so we'll be over here soon. >> Not what we expected. >> No [ __ ] >> With SWAT teams now on scene, a sniper unit quickly moves into position on the east side of the Shady Oaks complex, giving officers critical visibility. At the same time, entry teams on the west side prepare for their next move. It's finally time to move inside the building. >> Here, we'll cover you. Get up there. Go one at a time. Okay, I'm going to move right. >> Yep. I'm moving. >> 306. We're by the dumpster where you were. What's your 20? Oh, it's going to keep [Music] >> go. >> You got to get out of here. Just walk down that way. After carefully evacuating ground floor residents over the next 2 hours, SWAT teams successfully secure the lower levels, ensuring the shooters have no path to escape. As the sun rises over Shady Oaks, police gain a critical advantage, daylight. With improved visibility, they deploy drones overhead, giving officers a clear, real-time view of the complex. As the drone hovers above Shady Oaks, officers notice movement on the third floor. Someone barricaded near a window in apartment 303. Snipers positioned across the street quickly adjust their aim towards the apartment while officers remain on high alert, knowing other suspects could be hidden throughout the building. Over the next hour, tensions escalate as the barricaded shooter fires and destroys a police drone monitoring his position. At around 8:00 a.m., negotiation teams attempt to make contact, urging the shooter to surrender peacefully. But despite repeated attempts, he refuses to respond. By 10:00 a.m., after over 8 hours of standoff and with peaceful options exhausted, an armored SWAT vehicle pulls up directly into the shooter's line of sight, preparing to launch enough tear gas canisters to saturate the entire apartment. Moments after the gas enters the apartment, the barricaded suspect moves to the window. For the first time, officers see his face. It's a young man barely out of his teens, armed and ready to fire back. very hard. >> Following the shooter's reaction, a single carefully aimed sniper shot shatters the apartment window, sending shards of glass directly into the shooter's forehead. Moments later, he appears from the window, holding a towel to his face, clearly weakened and disoriented. A SWAT team immediately rushes to apartment 303 to apprehend the shooter. Inside they find him wounded but cooperative quickly placing him into custody and escorting him out of the building. >> Also priority 45 minutes in the freezing change in the left pocket. >> Big ass baggy pants. >> Check down by his feet. Nothing on his feet. >> Spread your legs real quick. >> I have nothing pulled up on me. Ow. [ __ ] my arm. >> You want to switch over? >> I can get and I owe you. >> The shooter is soon identified as Devin Matthew Wayland. Inside his apartment, officers recover multiple firearms, including the rifle used throughout the standoff. Officers continue to search the complex. And after a thorough sweep, they find no other threats, confirming Devon was the only shooter. As he is transported to the hospital for medical treatment, detectives begin rehashing details of the shooting. That's when they make a troubling discovery. The initial 911 call reporting fireworks had been placed by Devon himself. >> I could have sworn I heard a gunshot or a firecracker. I'm not sure which one. Investigators quickly realized the call was a deliberate attempt to lure responding officers directly into his line of fire. Given the calculated nature of the ambush, they suspect that Devon may not have acted alone, that he could be linked to a larger threat, perhaps associated with an extremist group or a broader violent plan. With this in mind, detectives bring Devon straight into an interrogation room as soon as he is medically cleared. Urgently seeking answers about his true motives and whether any additional attacks were placed. >> Hey Deon. >> Hello. >> How are you? >> I've been better. >> Yeah, it looks like it. Feeling okay though? Can you Is that okay? We visit. >> Okay. Now, let's back up to the day before the incident and just talk to us about your day and kind of what's going on. >> Everything seemed all right. Everything seemed fine, but uh these ex-friend of mine, they wanted to hang out with me and it was going to be his girlfriend's birthday, the 21st birthday, so they wanted to party and drink. Well, >> I am uh I do like political discussion. I like to see people's views and ask them why they think of that so I can respect them deeper and >> political stuff. >> Yep. But it just turns out that they're exeers and I think one guy was tweaking there. This guy's name was Seth something and they're all like trying to they're saying I'm getting in their face and screaming at them. I'm partially deaf from working in machinery. I said, "I'm sorry. I'll get all down on my hands and knees. I'll show you I'm not being violent." This woman was saying, "Get on my man's face." And I'm like, "I'm not on your man's face. I'm just saying this is how I view about the situation because how can I respect you? You've been nothing but nice to me." So, she has until this point on. And Jud said, "Get out of his face." I said, "I'm not on your face. He pushed me. He was trying to fight me. So, I fought him." And Jordan got on me and he tried fighting me. And he claimed he was trying to make sure there would be no fight to happen. But that was the last straw. And for some reason, I felt like because no one would believe my side of the story, I had my firearms out and ready to use just in case anything did happen, which I didn't want it to, but I had an accidental discharge of my Mos rifle and had one bullet for it. I'm not sure. >> What kind of rifle was it? >> Mosene gun. >> Okay. >> That was a mental slip up. I haven't been employed in a year. >> Uhhuh. and my grandfather died 3 years ago. I just wanted it and I didn't want to ever shoot a cop. That's why I surrendered. >> Were you were you aiming at anything? Just the cars trying to get the cops to come so they'd shoot me. I didn't want to shoot the cops. I didn't want to shoot anybody else the cars so that they would shoot me. But I >> couldn't I couldn't I couldn't myself. It's against my >> my own views. I would have to have somebody else me theoretically. So that's where that that idea I know it sounds really [ __ ] up. I wanted to live. I tried telling myself this and that, but H under last night's situation or our deal. It just got too much to me, too fast. >> So, um, do you remember what exactly you told the dispatcher when you called in? >> It sound like there was a a gunshot or fireworks or some type of discharge like some type of fire shot. >> So, when did if you said the word fireworks, would you mean fireworks from a gun or actually fireworks? >> I don't know. Did I say fireworks? Were you fireworks? >> I don't know if I did. >> Okay. Perhaps the most striking thing about Devon's confession is his description of feeling trapped between a desperate wish to die and an inability to harm himself. A psychological state commonly known as by cop where someone intentionally provokes law enforcement into using deadly force to end their own life. Following the interrogation, detectives determined that Devon Wayland acted alone, ruling out connections to any larger extremist groups. Devon admitted to intentionally provoking police to respond with deadly force driven by anger and humiliation after an earlier confrontation at a party. Thankfully, the three victims wounded in the shooting, including Officer Cody Neim, would ultimately recover from their physical injuries. When Devon's case reached trial, Minnesota's Court of Appeals rejected the argument that his actions were solely driven by intent. Although Devon claimed that provoking police into shooting him was his primary goal, the court found his broader actions of repeatedly firing at officers and civilians to clearly indicate a deliberate intention to kill or seriously injure others. Devon's defense team argued that severe mental health issues were primarily responsible for his violent rampage, but the jury was unconvinced, finding Devon guilty of three counts of firstdegree attempted murder and three counts of secondderee assault. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.