Fond Du Lac Man Shelby Boswell Sentenced To Over 9 Years For Shooting During Funeral Service

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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 29-year-old Fond du Lac man with a criminal history will spend over nine years in prison for shooting a person in the back of the head during a funeral service.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Minnesota, Shelby Boswell was sentenced to 110 months in prison, which will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Shelby Boswell (credit: Carlton County)

On Oct. 18, 2019, multiple law enforcement agencies responded to reports of shots fired in the gymnasium of the Fond du Lac Head Start building, where a funeral was being held Friday morning.

The complaint states Bowell's sister, along with her boyfriend, identified as 45-year-old Broderick Boshay Robinson, were in attendance at the funeral and were seated when Boswell approached them. Bowell is accused of coming up to the couple from behind and firing a rifle at Robinson's head. Robinson was struck in the back of the head, but remained conscious, and turned around to see Boswell pointing the rifle at him.

Authorities say family members and funeral attendees moved to block Boswell from firing again, and were then able to disarm him and take the rifle to an empty locker in a nearby room.

The shooting took place within 1,000 feet of the grounds of Fond du Lac Ojibwe High School.

Boswell has prior felony convictions in Beltrami County, Carlton County and in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time.