A Carver County judge has sentenced a Jordan man for shooting and wounding his ex-girlfriend and father in front of his 4-year-old son last fall.

Joshua L. Gilpin, 39, pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault as part of a plea deal that will have him serving at least 18 years in prison.

Gilpin led police on a manhunt in October after he shot his ex-girlfriend, Heidi Robling, and his father, ­Robert Gilpin, while dropping his son off at Robling's home in Chaska.

On Oct. 1, Gilpin, with his father and his young son, drove from Jordan to Chaska. Gilpin's father was not aware that his son was carrying a concealed, loaded revolver with him in the car. When they arrived in Chaska, Robert stayed in the car while Gilpin went to meet Robling in the garage.

According to the Carver County attorney's office, Gilpin was angry that Robling was seeing someone else. While in the garage, Gilpin asked Robling whom he should kill first — her or her boyfriend.

When Robling screamed, Gilpin's father ran to the garage. At that moment, Gilpin shot Robling through the back of the neck, barely missing her arteries and spinal cord.

Joshua L. Gilpin

Robert tried to wrestle the gun out of his son's hands only to be shot in the chest. The bullet remains in his liver, according to the attorney's office.

Gilpin's 4-year-old son witnessed the attack on his ­grandfather and mother. He was not physically harmed.

Gilpin then escaped to his parents' house in Jordan, where he was found and arrested after an intense manhunt.

In a news release, the county attorney's office referred to the crime as "an attempted murder specifically occurring in the context of attempted murder."

"This tragic crime brought sorrow and grief to a large number of family members," the news release said.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707