A Minnesota resident has received a life sentence after unleashing a barrage of bullets at police officers executing a narcotics search warrant at his home earlier this year.

Sixty-six-year-old Karl Holmberg was handed a 76-and-a-half-year prison term for opening fire on law enforcement, hitting five out of seven officers at his residence located on 190th Ave NE in Glendorado Township, approximately 60 miles from Minneapolis. This past August, a jury found Holmberg guilty of seven counts each of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault on a police officer, in addition to a methamphetamine possession charge.

The incident unfolded on October 12, 2023, when officers entered Holmberg’s home and approached his bedroom. Prosecutors detailed in a sentencing memo that Holmberg responded by firing 28 rounds from an assault rifle, effectively emptying the magazine. The gunfire wounded officers in the arm, chest, hip, and hand, while two others were saved from serious harm thanks to their bulletproof vests. Two additional officers present at the scene were unharmed.

Inside the home at the time was Holmberg’s wife, who was asleep before being awakened by her husband, who alerted her to the presence of “they,” according to the arrest affidavit. He ominously stated “it was his day to die” and displayed several firearms on the bed. As officers breached the front door and advanced toward the bedroom, Holmberg began firing indiscriminately through the door.

During a post-arrest interview, Holmberg, after being read his Miranda rights, admitted to being aware of the officers’ presence. However, he insisted they were there unlawfully and asked them to leave before opening fire. Officers returned fire, injuring Holmberg in the foot.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case. Attorney General Keith Ellison called the incident a “horrific assault on law enforcement.”

“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. I am truly grateful to these brave Minnesotans for risking so much on behalf of their fellow Minnesotans,” said Ellison.