Justin Barkley.jpg

Justin Barkley

(Ithaca Police Department)

An Upstate NY man accused of killing a UPS driver at a Wal-Mart in Ithaca told a judge that the man he actually killed was president-elect Donald Trump.

Justin Barkley, 38, of Dryden, was arrested on December 8 after allegedly shooting and killing UPS driver William Schumacher, 52, of Candor in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart, then running over Schumacher with his vehicle.

In court on Monday, Barkley attempted to plead guilty, and told a judge, "I shot and killed Donald Trump purposely, intentionally and very proudly," The Ithaca Voice reported.

According to the website, Barkley said he knew Trump would be at the Wal-Mart, and went to the store intending to kill him.

Barkley told the court he understood the difference between mistaking someone for Trump and claiming that he actually killed Trump, and said nothing could convince him that he had killed anyone other than the president-elect.

The judge rejected his guilty plea, and Assistant D.A. Eliza Filipowski requested a mental evaluation for Barkley.

After shooting Schumacher, Barkley engaged in a standoff with police at his home for several hours before surrendering.

Schumacher had been a seasonal driver for UPS for just two years.

Barkley is due back in court in January.