Rochester man allegedly killed father, broke into home and shot twice at man as they wrestled

A 35-year-old man is charged with fatally shooting his father in a retail area of Rochester, then breaking into a home minutes later and shooting twice at a man as they wrestled.

Michael Joseph Milbrandt, 35, of Rochester, was charged Jan. 27 in Olmsted County District Court with one count each of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder stemming from the back-to-back crimes on Jan. 25.

Milbrandt appeared in court soon after the criminal complaint was filed and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail. A follow-up hearing has yet to be scheduled. Court records do not list an attorney for him.

The complaint identified the victim as Milbrandt’s father, 63-year-old Jeffrey Wayne Milbrandt.

According to the complaint and police:

Police received an emergency call about 9:35 p.m. about a man down on a snowy children’s thrift store parking lot in the 1200 block of Marion Road SE. with a gunshot wound to the head. Jeffrey Milbrandt was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and died that night, according to police.

One witness told police that he was taking out trash, heard loud arguing and a gunshot. He said he saw someone wearing a hoodie leave in a pickup truck.

The store’s owner said Michael Milbrandt was staying that night in the basement, which he rents out as an Airbnb.

Soon after the shooting, officers were sent to a home about 2¾ miles southeast of the shooting scene, the 2700 block of Marion Road SE., regarding a gunman who broke into a home in the neighborhood where Michael Milbrandt lives.

Police arrived, saw Michael Milbrandt in the basement and wrestling with a man who was screaming. Officers arrested Michael Milbrandt.

The man told police that he went upstairs after hearing a crash and saw Michael Milbrandt coming at him with a handgun. He said Michael Milbrandt fired one shot that missed him. The man said that as his wrestled with his friend, Michael Milbrandt put the gun near the man’s head and missed again with another shot.

During the confrontation, the man continued he screamed for his wife to get their child out of the house.

Lisa Milbrandt told police that her son becomes “paranoid and erratic when he uses drugs,” the complaint read. She said she told him to leave the house two days later because she didn’t want to enable his behavior.