A suspect has died in connection with a shooting in Minnesota that claimed the lives of two police officers and a first responder, a police organisation said.

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) said negotiations with a suspect went on for four hours before a Swat team entered the home in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville. Seven children were inside the home.

The affluent suburban neighbourhood was ringed with police cars that kept the press and public away from the scene where the shootings took place on Sunday.

The deaths of the two Burnsville police officers and the first responder were confirmed by the MPPOA.

“We are heartbroken. Our law enforcement community is heartbroken. We’re just devastated at the horrific loss,” Brian Peters, executive director of the association that represents public safety professionals in the state, said in a statement.

A police armoured vehicle parked nearby had bullet damage to its windscreen, but there was no confirmation on whether that was the result of the incident.

Minnesota governor Tim Walz wrote on social media that other officers were injured in the incident.

“We must never take for granted the bravery and sacrifices our police officers and first responders make every day,” he said. “My heart is with their families today and the entire state of Minnesota stands with Burnsville.”

No other details were immediately released about what led to the shooting in a tree-lined neighbourhood with two-storey homes. In its aftermath, the street was lined with Swat vehicles, police cars, firefighters and ambulances.

Democratic representative Angie Craig said in a statement that she had been in touch with the mayor, police chief and state officials to offer any federal resources needed.

“Today serves as another solemn reminder that those who protect our communities do so at great personal risk,” she said.

Burnsville, a city of around 64,000, is about 15 miles south of central Minneapolis.