Karl Holmberg Sentenced to 76.5 Years

Karl Thomas Holmberg, 66, was sentenced to 76.5 years (918 months) in prison after an August jury convicted him on multiple felonies, including seven counts of first-degree attempted murder and related assault, drug and gun charges, for shooting five officers at his Glendorado/Princeton home on Oct. 12, 2023. Court documents say Holmberg fired 28 rounds from a high-powered rifle through his bedroom door as officers announced a narcotics search warrant, striking three officers with serious injuries and hitting the ballistic vests of two others. The ensuing hours-long standoff ended when negotiators secured his surrender; Holmberg was also treated for a gunshot wound. Benton County Judge Robert Raupp ordered three consecutive 306-month terms (totaling 918 months) with credit for time served, a sentence prosecutors had sought because of the attack's severity. Investigators found meth and multiple firearms at the home, and Holmberg's wife told authorities he had said it was "his day to die." Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott and victims' families praised the sentence while defense attorneys argued for a shorter term citing Holmberg’s age.