A man from Ithaca, New York, was arrested after shooting and killing a UPS truck driver on December 8th. This Monday, during his arraignment, 38-year-old Justin R. Barkley revealed his motive for the shooting — to kill the man he believed to be President-elect Donald Trump.
“I shot and killed Donald Trump purposely, intentionally and very proudly,” he said in court on Monday. “I went there to purposely shoot and kill him and put him down.”
According to the Ithica Voice, Barkley “told the court that he knew where president elect Donald Trump would be on Dec. 8 and waited in the Ithaca Walmart parking lot kill him.”
After an 8 hour standoff with police, Barkley was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and menacing a police officer or peace officer.
At his arraignment, Barkley attempted to plead guilty, but his plea was not accepted by Judge John Rowley because he refused to confess that he mistook Schumacher for Trump.
“I would not agree to that your honor,” Barkley said. He added that he never met a man named William Schumacher, and still believed that the man he shot and killed was indeed President-elect Donald Trump.
Barkley was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation before the case proceeds.
He is scheduled to reappear in court on Jan 6th.