Karl Holmberg charged with shooting 5 officers in east central Minnesota, told wife it was "his day to die"

PRINCETON, Minn. — The man accused of shooting five police officers in east central Minnesota on Thursday morning told his wife it was "his day to die" before opening fire, according to charges now filed in Benton County.

Karl Holmberg, 64, faces six counts of first-degree attempted murder and six counts of first-degree assault.  

Holmberg was already known to law enforcement in the area and Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck said he was not surprised by the shooting. Court records show Holmberg was convicted of cocaine possession in 1986 and another felony drug possession in 2006. Most recently, in 2019, he was convicted of a petty misdemeanor for not wearing his seatbelt in a vehicle.