Schlienz to be arraigned today in St. Louis County

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal reports this morning that the man accused in Thursday’s shooting and struggle in the Cook County Courthouse is remorseful for what happened.

“He knows he’s done for,” Gary Schlienz said of a conversation he had with his son, Daniel Schlienz, on Friday at the Cook County Jail in Grand Marais. “He knows there’s no getting around this.”

Daniel Schlienz, 42, of Grand Marais, is to be charged in St. Louis County District Court today with shooting two men late Thursday afternoon in a courthouse assault that followed his conviction for criminal sexual conduct.

Schlienz has been transferred to the St. Louis County Jail in Duluth.
The victims, Cook County attorney Tim Scannell, 45, and Greg Thompson, 53, of Grand Marais, who had been subpoenaed as a witness in the sexual conduct case, remained at Duluth’s Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center on Saturday.

Hospital spokeswoman Beth Johnson said. Scannell was in fair condition and Thompson in good condition. Johnson said both would be in hospital at least through the weekend.

Cook County Sheriff Mark Falk said the suspect retrieved his handgun from his vehicle after the jury found him guilty of criminal sexual conduct. He then went to Scannell’s office with the loaded weapon, said Falk, adding Thompson was in the office.

Thompson was shot in the leg but was able to run out of the office. Scannell was shot while taking cover behind a counter, said Falk.
He said the suspect left the office and came across Thompson on a nearby landing. Thompson was shot again.

At that point Schlienz’s defence attorney came to Scannell’s aid.
Falk said the bailiff, Deputy Gary Radloff, 70, of Grand Marais, heard the gunshots. He cleared the jury and judge from the courtroom, and followed the sound of the shots.
Radloff confronted Schlienz and a struggle ensued, during which Radloff was injured, but not shot.
He and Molly Hicken, assistant county attorney, who was also injured in the struggle, were treated and released at Cook County North Shore Hospital.
Another Cook County deputy and a Minnesota State Patrol trooper took Schlienz into custody.
Schlienz, a former boxer, entered an Alford plea in 2006 on charges that he sexually assaulted two 15-year-old girls and a 17-year-old girl. In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges that the prosecution likely could prove the charge.
In 2007, Schlienz moved to withdraw his plea. The sentencing court denied his motion, but the Court of Appeals ruled in January 2011 that his plea withdrawal should have been accepted. That led to his trial last week. He was not in custody during the trial.
Falk said the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting in the investigation and that the Minnesota Attorney General’s office would be prosecuting the case.
Gary Schlienz, who lives in Grand Marais, said his son told him that he intended to get a gun out of his truck and shoot himself. He said.
his son hadn’t expected the verdict.

“He was sure he would be found not guilty,” Gary Schlienz said. “He just snapped. It had been a long road for him for six years.”
Falk said the Cook County Courthouse has been closed since the shootings took place and is to remain closed until 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Material compiled from reports in The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal, Duluth News-Tribune, Associated Press and WTIP News Dept.