Man charged in deadly shooting that sparked manhunt near Rochester, Minn.
KALMAR TOWNSHIP, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man is charged with murder in a late-night confrontation that turned deadly and claimed the life of a 70-year-old man in a small town outside of Rochester, Minnesota.
William Shillingford, 31, is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault for the shooting of John Colbert in rural Kalmar Township, which is on the northwest border of Rochester.
Deputies say they were called to the home around 10:45 p.m. on County Road 105 by a 911 caller who was reporting his father had been shot. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a truck that was registered to Shillingford and a trail of blood that led down the driveway back to the house.
In the home, police found the victim who had been shot in the forearm, causing a heavy arterial bleed. Investigators say it appeared the bullet went through his arm and grazed the right side of his midsection.
Colbert was unconscious when deputies arrived and rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead less than an hour later.
Video shows the deadly shooting
According to the charges, the Colbert's house had a security system set up on it with cameras that showed the shooting.
In the video, deputies say they see the truck circle the driveway before parking. According to the charges, the video shows Shillingford walking toward a detached garage carrying a handgun.
Shortly after, Colbert and his son are seen walking over towards the garage. At that point, deputies say the video shows the suspect racking his handgun, assuming a shooting stance, and pointing the gun toward the father and son. Ultimately, deputies say Shillingford fired three shots.
Resident returned fire toward the suspect
Speaking with police, Colbert's son told deputies he saw the truck pull in, walked over to investigate, then went to get their father when they saw the man.
According to deputies, Colbert had brought a Glock with him when he went to confront the suspect. After Colbert was shot, his son picked up the Glock and fired two shots toward the suspect.
Investigators found five casings at the scene: three 9mm casings near where the suspect fired shots and two .45 caliber casings near where the family member fired shots.
Manhunt followed the shooting
After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene, leaving his truck behind. Two witnesses, who came to check out the commotion at their neighbor's home, told deputies they spotted a man with no shoes on tiptoeing across a field before lying down in a ditch.
When one of the witnesses said they should call the police, the man reportedly told them to "shut up you f---ing b---h." The man then dashed away as officers approached the area.
Officers with the Rochester Police Department ultimately tracked down the suspect as he ran into a neighbor's driveway. Nearby, at a barn/event center, investigators noticed a broken window. Upon further investigation, deputies say they found a 9mm gun with an empty magazine next to the broken window.
After being arrested, deputies say Shillingford was "extremely belligerent and continued to yell out random names."
Shillingford is currently in custody at Olmsted County Jail. The motive behind the shooting is unclear, but deputies say it appears the suspect and victim knew each other.