On a quiet Saturday evening in rural Brandon, Minnesota, the lives of the Hooper family were irrevocably shattered. On September 12, 2015, 59-year-old Edward Hooper, a White male, and his son, Robert "Bobby" Hooper, age 30, were found deceased in their shared home. The tragic event unfolded after the Douglas County Sheriff's office received a 911 call shortly before 6 p.m. reporting two unresponsive men at the residence.
Upon their arrival, authorities discovered the bodies of both father and son. Subsequent autopsies revealed a grim sequence of events. Edward Hooper had sustained two fatal gunshot wounds. His son, Robert, was found to have died from a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, processed the scene at 18862 Tower Hill Rd. SW.
The investigation led authorities to conclude that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Officials determined that Robert Hooper was the sole individual with his father at the time of the incident. The sheriff's office assured the public that there was no ongoing danger, as the tragic event was contained within the family home.
Edward, known as Ed, was a long-time, faithful employee at Douglas Machines in Alexandria for thirty-five years. He was remembered for his love of anything with a motor, particularly older model tractors and classic cars, and enjoyed tinkering in his shop. He shared 32 years of marriage with his wife, Cheryl, and was a father to three children and a grandfather to three. His interests included military history, firearms, and outdoor activities like camping, fishing, and hunting with his family. The case remains a somber memory of a father and son lost in a single, violent act.
