Kirk Edward Hazlett II, a 62-year-old man from Pine City, Minnesota, tragically lost his life on November 15, 2024, in what authorities have described as an 'execution-style' shooting at a family hunting cabin in Hinckley, Minnesota. The incident unfolded when Hazlett II, his brother, and another individual were staying at the cabin during a hunting trip. A trail camera on the property alerted them to the presence of a man approaching with a firearm.
That individual was soon identified as Hazlett II's son, Kirk Edward Hazlett III.
According to witness accounts, Hazlett III forcefully entered the cabin and immediately began firing at his father before the other men could react. He shot Hazlett II multiple times in the upper body before standing over him and delivering a fatal shot to the head. Witnesses described the attack as deliberate and premeditated, stating that Hazlett III entered the cabin 'with a mission... he entered to kill him'. The two surviving witnesses feared for their own lives but managed to convince Hazlett III to let them go after surrendering their phones. They fled to a neighbor's home, where they called 911.
Authorities later located Hazlett III at his residence in Cambridge, Minnesota, where he was taken into custody without incident. He now faces multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder, for his role in his father's death. Court documents indicate that the father and son had a strained relationship, with Hazlett II's brother revealing that the two had been in conflict for a long time. Just a month prior to the fatal shooting, Hazlett III had been trespassed from the property following a dispute between him and his father that required police intervention.
Hazlett III remains in Pine County Jail and made his first court appearance shortly after his arrest. The case continues to unfold as investigators piece together the events leading up to the tragic killing of 62-year-old Kirk Edward Hazlett II.
