Princeton man who shot officers trying to serve search warrant sentenced to 76 years
A Princeton, Minnesota, man was sentenced Friday to 76.5 years in prison for attempting to murder several law enforcement officers in a shooting in October 2023.
The officers were trying to serve a knock-and-announce narcotics warrant at 66-year-old Karl Holmberg's home on the morning of the shooting. According to the criminal complaint, they announced their presence and were met with gunfire "within seconds."
One officer was shot in the right arm, the second in the chest and hip, and a third was shot in the hand. Two others were shot in their ballistic vests. Holmberg admitted to shooting the officers with a .223 rifle.
He was charged with more than a dozen felonies in Benton County, including seven counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer. Holmberg was convicted of 15 counts following a two-week trial earlier this summer. He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm during the trial.
Attorney General Keith Ellison's office prosecuted the case after a referral from the former Benton County Attorney Karl Schmidt.
"Today, Karl Holmberg faced justice for his horrific assault on law enforcement," Ellison said. "Holmberg's crimes demonstrate the extraordinary danger that members of law enforcement face in the course of their work to keep the people of Minnesota safe."