Trial Starts for Black Who Shot White Man at Point-Blank in Face with Handgun

Malcolm Woods

He is representing himself in court.

And, by the sound of it, he’s already off to a promising start.

KTTC:

The trial of the man charged with the 2018 murder of a Rochester man started Feb. 3.

Malcolm Woods, 28, of Rochester is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and second-degree intentional homicide in the 2018 shooting death of Brandon Arndt, 38, of Rochester.

According to the criminal complaint, in the early morning of Sept. 10, 2018, Woods went to Arndt’s mobile home that he shared with his mother around 4 a.m. and banged on the door.

When Arndt opened the door, Woods shot him point-blank in the face with a .40 caliber handgun.

“This was a senseless premeditated execution,” said assistant county attorney Erin Gustafson. “Brandon was known as being generous and helpful.”

Woods is representing himself in the trial. In his opening statement, he claimed that he did not intend to kill Arndt and that he wanted to talk to him and “beat him up.”

Arndt struggled with kidney issues due to spina bifida. After nine years on dialysis, he received a kidney transplant in January 2018.

The trial is expected to last up to two weeks.

Brandon Arndt