Man admits fatally shooting girlfriend in Brooklyn Center days after killing ex-girlfriend's dog

A man admitted in court Wednesday to fatally shooting his girlfriend in Brooklyn Center and also to shooting and killing a former girlfriend's dog a few days before the murder.

Michael I. Klinger, 38, of Anoka, agreed in Hennepin County District Court to plead guilty to second-degree intentional murder in connection with shooting girlfriend Katie A. Fredrickson, 34, on July 31 at her home in the 5400 block of N. 68th Avenue while the two were arguing.

Klinger also agreed to plead guilty to an illegal weapons charge for shooting his ex's 1½-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever on July 27 as she took the dog for a walk along 34th Street near Nicollet Avenue.

The agreement between the defense and the prosecution calls for Klinger to serve concurrent terms of 40 years for the murder and five years for the weapons conviction. With credit for time in jail since his arrest, he would serve slightly more than 26 years in prison and the balance on supervised release. Klinger remains jailed ahead of sentencing on Jan. 12.

According to the murder charges:

Officers dispatched to Fredrickson's home found her on a couch with two gunshot wounds to her chest.

Police spoke with a couple who were spending the evening in the residence. The man said he heard Klinger and his "off-again-on-again" girlfriend arguing, and gunfire soon followed. The woman recalled hearing gunshots around the time of the arguing as well.

Klinger was arrested a few hours later after a neighbor took down the license plate of the vehicle he used to drive away. Officers located the vehicle in St. Louis Park and arrested Klinger.

The officers seized from him four handguns — three of them stolen — nearly 1 pound of methamphetamine and $5,360 in cash. Police searched a hotel room in St. Louis Park where Klinger was staying and collected ammunition and magazines, the charges said.

Klinger's criminal history in Minnesota also includes three convictions for illegal weapons possession and one for a first-degree drug crime.