Man shot, killed father at hunting cabin in Hinckley, charges say
HINCKLEY, Minn. — A Cambridge man is accused of shooting and killing his father at a hunting cabin on Friday evening.
According to the charges filed in Pine County, the father, the father's brother and another man were all at a hunting cabin on the 57000 block of Barns Spring Road in Hinckley. The victim's brother got a notification on his phone from a trail camera at the entrance of the property showing a person walking up the driveway with a gun in hand.
The victim's brother then went to another room to grab a handgun, and then heard three gunshots, the criminal complaint says. He came out of the room to see his nephew standing with a gun. His brother was still "breathing a little bit," he later told police.
The victim's son then told the victim's brother and friend to sit on a couch, the charges say. He then walked over and shot his father again, according to documents.
The two men pleaded to be let go, and eventually the son conceded, telling the men to leave their cell phones.
The men then ran out of the cabin and went to a neighbor's home, where they called police. The victim's brother said that the son and the father "weren't getting along and hadn't for a long time," and the son appeared "very coherent" during the shooting.
Around 9:18 p.m., about half an hour after the two men arrived at the neighbor's home, the son called Pine County dispatch to report that his girlfriend was making suicidal comments, charges say. Deputies were then able to learn of his location, which showed him about 8.1 miles southwest of the hunting cabin.
He was later arrested at his home in Cambridge. His girlfriend told police that he did not like the new security camera system at the cabin.
Approximately one month before the father's death, police had been called to the cabin for a disturbance. The father reported that his son was drinking and threatening him. He told law enforcement that he wanted his son to leave, and the son was later determined to be trespassing, charges say.
The son, Kirk Hazlett, was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of burglary. He made his first appearance in court, where his bond was set at $3 million with no conditions and $1 million with conditions.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.