Rural MN Man Shot 5 Cops, Told Wife 'His Day To Die': Charges

PRINCETON, MN — A rural Minnesota man is accused of shooting five officers while they were trying to serve him a warrant on Thursday. He told his wife moments before the gunfire that it was "his day to die," according to police.

Karl Thomas Holmberg, 64, of Princeton was charged Friday with six counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer and six counts of first-degree assault and attempt to use deadly force against a police officer.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Holmberg's criminal history includes drug possession convictions in 1986 and in 2005.

"Because all were working in an undercover capacity, I cannot provide their names," Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck said in a statement.

"But I can tell you that the injured officers include three Sherburne County sheriff’s deputies – one of whom sustained a gunshot injury and two who were shot in the vest; one Elk River Police Department investigator was shot; and one Princeton Police Department investigator was shot."

All five officers are expected to survive.

Heck called it "a difficult day" but was "grateful" there was no loss of life.

"We are also grateful for the bravery and professionalism of all the law enforcement personnel involved in this incident. We are very grateful for the assistance of all our partners who came to our aid and we are particularly grateful for our negotiators who worked so hard to bring this incident to a peaceful end."

On Oct. 12 just after 7 a.m., officers on the Sherburne County Drug Task Force and Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies tried to serve a knock and announce narcotics search warrant at Holmberg's residence in Princeton, located about an hour from Minneapolis.

Seconds after announcing themselves and entering, the officers were fired upon, according to the criminal complaint. Officers were shot at while retreating from the house, police said.

Five officers were shot and required hospitalization. Three of them were airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and the two others were taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital.

Following hours of negotiation, just before 11 a.m., Holmberg was taken into custody. He was transported to North Memorial Health Hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the foot.

In a police interview, his wife said she awoke Thursday to Holmberg telling her that "they" were here, according to the criminal complaint. She checked a camera monitor from the bedroom that showed police outside.

Holmberg said it was "his day to die" and laid out multiple guns on the bed, according to investigators. According to his wife, Holmberg began shooting "blindly" through the closed bedroom door with a "military-style rifle," the criminal complaint states.

Holmberg asked his wife to join the fight but when she refused, called her a coward, according to investigators.

In his own police interview, Holmberg said he was armed with a .223 rifle, authorities said. During a search of the house later, police also found handguns and a shotgun, the criminal complaint states.