Killer Used House Fire To Lure Victims

"FAIRMONT, MN — A house fire that drew authorities to a southern Minnesota neighborhood was set by a man inside as part of an ambush plot that left a police officer and a neighbor wounded, police said Wednesday.

"The man who set the fire died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, police said. Authorities in Fairmont did not offer a motive for the plot.

"Officer Chad Sanow, 36, a six-year veteran of the force, was shot in the chest with `a large bullet` Tuesday night near the burning home on 415 Webster Street, police said in a statement released Wednesday morning.

"A neighbor, Matthew Von Watermulen, 28, was shot in the abdomen, police said. The gunman then shot himself in the head and was found dead on the property, police added.

"Sanow and Von Watermulen, who were shot while walking toward the front of the home, were hospitalized and in stable condition. The gunman's identity had not yet been released.

"`The fire is ... believed to have been arson, started by the gunman in an attempt to ambush the first responders,` police said."

Source: StarTribune.com...