Murder charges: Man shot his father 9 times at family’s hunting cabin
Courtesy of Pine County Jail
(KSTP) — A Cambridge man has been charged with killing his father at a hunting cabin in Hinckley on Friday.
Kirk Edward Hazlett III, 31, faces two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree burglary.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Pine County District Court, deputies responded to the shooting around 8:44 p.m. on Friday. The 911 caller said that two men came to his house and said that Hazlett had shot his father, Kirk Edward Hazlett II, 62.
The two men directed investigators to the hunting cabin where the shooting occurred, and they found the victim deceased with multiple gunshot wounds.
Hazlett’s uncle told police that he, another man and the victim were finishing dinner when they saw someone walk onto the property with a gun on the trail camera. He went to get his gun and heard three gunshots.
Court documents state that when the man returned, he saw Hazlett standing inside the cabin with a gun. He said that the victim was still alive at this point because he could see him breathing.
Hazlett’s uncle said Hazlett told them to go sit on the couch and then shot his father once more in the back of the head to make sure he was dead. Hazlett then took the two men’s cell phones and let them leave.
Hazlett’s uncle also told investigators that Hazlett and his father “weren’t getting along and hadn’t for a very long time” and that Hazlett was “not in good relations with their family,” court documents state.
The other man told police that Hazlett “entered with a mission…he entered to kill [the victim].” He added that Hazlett had shot his father in the head “execution style.”
Around 9:18 p.m. that night, Hazlett called police in Isanti County to report that his girlfriend was making suicidal comments. Isanti County officials contacted Pine County officials and tracked his phone to State Highway 48 — roughly eight miles from the hunting cabin.
Court documents note that a month prior to the shooting, first responders were called to the cabin after Hazlett was drinking and threatening his father. Hazlett was trespassed from the property.
An autopsy of the victim showed he had been shot nine times.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, several resources are available to offer help. For immediate help, contact:
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
- Minnesota Day One at 866-223-1111.
- The Women’s Advocates crisis line at 651-227-8284.
More than 12 million people just in the U.S. are affected by domestic violence every year, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The organizations listed above can help connect victims to resources like safe shelter, advocacy, legal help and support groups.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see those.
Other organizations that can help include:
- Violence Free Minnesota at 651-646-6177 or 800-289-6177.
- Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project at 612-343-9842.
- Mending the Sacred Hoop at 888-305-1650.
- Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault at 612-209-9993.
Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for victims of crimes that can be found HERE.