Charges: Fitness worker went to 70-year-old's home, killed him with gunshot to arm
A Dodge Center man faces murder charges after he allegedly shot a 70-year-old man dead while lurking around the victim's property in a rural community near Rochester.
William Isaac Shillingford, 31, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in Olmsted County District Court.
The sheriff's office has identified the victim as John Colbert.
During a press conference Tuesday, Lt. Lee Rossman with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office said investigators are still working to determine a motive in the case.
"Their families were acquaintances so they did know each other before this incident happened," Rossman said, noting that Shillingford had hunted on Colbert's property before.
What happened?
According to the criminal complaint and statements from the sheriff's office, Colbert and his son were both at home in Kalmar Township late Sunday evening when Shillingford pulled into the driveway in his pickup truck.
Surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators showed Shillingford's truck circle the driveway once before parking.
Colbert's son went outside to investigate and saw a white male suspect hiding around the corner of the garage, charges state. The son went back inside and spoke to Colbert, who armed himself with a handgun before the pair returned outside.
Authorities allege Shillingford then fired three rounds towards Colbert while standing next to the detached garage.
Colbert, struck in the forearm, returned to the house. His son grabbed the gun and returned fire towards Shillingford's vehicle and called 911.
Shillingford fled east towards an unoccupied building on a nearby property, according to the sheriff's office.
When responders arrived, Colbert was unconscious and had already lost a significant amount of blood due to the bullet striking an artery, charges state. He was pronounced dead shortly after.
Neighbors who'd begun driving to Colbert's house after hearing the shots saw Shillingford "tip-toeing across the field," according to charges. He was taken into custody while running towards the driveway of a nearby house.
Inside a nearby barn, officers located a 9mm handgun and an empty magazine that appeared to have been thrown through a window.
Surveillance footage of the incident allegedly shows Shillingford fire from three different shooting positions — standing, crouching and prone.
During Tuesday's press conference, Rossman said investigators weren't aware of any formal firearms training Shillingford had besides a background in hunting.
He is a manager at the Anytime Fitness in Bryon, according to authorities.
