What started as a casual night of drinks and hunting talk in rural Wisconsin ended in what prosecutors are calling a “killing in cold blood.”
According to reporter Devin Willems of We Are Green Bay, 74-year-old Brent Hofman is now charged with first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide after a deadly shooting on November 12 in Shawano County.
Court records quoted by Willems say Hofman, while sitting in a garage bar with two longtime hunting buddies, placed a gun on the bar and reportedly said something like:
“I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys.”
Minutes later, one of those friends was dead, and the other was hiding in a nearby house on the phone with 911, convinced Hofman was trying to kill him too.
A Night At The Hunting Land Turns Deadly
Devin Willems reports that the men had been coming up to the same hunting land for over ten years.
The surviving victim told authorities he had never had any real issues with Hofman before.
Their relationship was described in the criminal complaint as “neighborly.”
On that November night, the three men were sitting in the garage on the property, drinking and talking about hunting.
Willems explains that at some point, Hofman put a pistol on the bar.
Later, he allegedly picked it up and made the now-infamous remark about having to kill his friends.
According to the complaint, as summarized by Willems, the victim who was shot approached Hofman, and that’s when Hofman allegedly started firing.
Investigators say there was no clear argument, no obvious trigger, and no reason offered for the sudden violence.
That, more than anything, is what makes this case feel so bizarre and unsettling.
“Killing In Cold Blood,” Prosecutor Says
Reporter Blake Borths from WFRV Local 5 was in the courtroom for Hofman’s first appearance.
He notes that Shawano County District Attorney Greg Parker didn’t mince words.
Parker told the judge, “The state believes that one million cash is appropriate. And you can’t put this any other way, but this is a killing in cold blood.”
Borths reports that on November 12, officers were dispatched to a home in the Town of Germania after multiple reports of shots fired.
According to the criminal complaint he obtained, the surviving victim – often called “Victim #2” in court records – told 911 that Hofman shot his friend and was now trying to get into the house where the caller had taken shelter.
The caller had armed himself and was prepared to shoot if Hofman forced his way inside.
Borths says dispatchers even heard gunshots over the phone, along with the sound of glass shattering.
Later, when deputies arrived, they found Hofman outside with lacerations on his face, smelling of alcohol and speaking with slurred speech, as Willems also reports.
The Victim’s Family Speaks Through Their Grief
WBAY reporter Drew Best identifies the man who was killed as Rick Roundy, based on a statement from his family.
In that statement, shared with Action 2 News, Roundy’s family said they are “devastated and heartbroken” over the loss of a man who meant so much to them.
They also thanked the community for prayers and support, and asked for privacy as they grieve.
Best notes that the criminal complaint lists the victim as a 67-year-old Greenleaf man, and prosecutors have added an elderly-victim penalty enhancer to the homicide charge because of his age.
Even without knowing every detail of Roundy’s life, the family’s brief words say enough.
To them, this wasn’t just a case file or a headline.
It was the sudden, violent loss of someone they loved.
“Weird” Talk, Heavy Drinking, Then Gunfire
Drew Best and Devin Willems both point out that alcohol appears to play a significant role in the night’s events.
The surviving victim told investigators that Hofman arrived at the property with a pistol and had been drinking heavily.
Best reports that the three men shared cocktails and talked about deer hunting without any apparent tension.
But then, the surviving victim said, Hofman started saying “weird” things.
According to Best’s summary of the complaint, Hofman allegedly mentioned having to kill people, then pulled his pistol and shot his friend for no reason.
Willems notes that investigators found no prior conflict serious enough to explain what happened.
The relationship, again, was described as neighborly.
That may be one of the hardest parts to process:
Longtime hunting buddies, years of shared trips, and seemingly no big blowup – and suddenly someone at the table is pointing a gun.
The 911 Call And A Terrifying Standoff
Best gives more detail on what happened after the first shots.
The surviving victim told 911 that his friend had been shot and that he didn’t know if the man was still alive.
He retreated into another building on the property, locked the door, grabbed his own gun, and called for help.
While he was on the phone with dispatchers, Hofman allegedly tried to force his way into the house.
Best reports that the caller fired two shots at Hofman through the door, saying he saw glass shatter and believed Hofman went down.
Dispatchers could hear some of those sounds in real time.
When deputies arrived, they found Hofman outside the home, propped up against the house, according to Best.
He first denied having a gun, then admitted, “I have a holster but the gun is gone.”
Inside the garage, officers found Roundy dead.
According to Best, Hofman later pointed to the garage area and told a deputy, “I think he’s dead.”
And when he was being booked into jail, Hofman reportedly said, “I never hurt anybody.”
Taken together, those statements paint a picture of a man who may be disoriented, in denial, or both – but they don’t change the fact that one person is dead and another nearly was.
Inside The Courtroom: A Million-Dollar Bond
All three reporters – Willems, Borths, and Best – note that the state pushed hard for a $1 million cash bond.
District Attorney Greg Parker argued that the serious charges and the nature of the alleged crime justified such a high number.
Hofman’s attorney, Eric Maciolek, acknowledged the gravity of the case, telling the court that a significant cash bond was reasonable – but argued that $250,000 would be enough to ensure Hofman’s return to court, stressing his client’s long roots in Wisconsin.
Best says Maciolek also called the facts “perplexing,” hinting at how little obvious motive there seems to be in the complaint.
In the end, the judge sided with the state and set bond at $1 million cash.
Hofman was also ordered to have no contact with the victims’ families or with the surviving victim, to maintain absolute sobriety, stay away from illegal substances, avoid travel outside Wisconsin, and possess no firearms.
Willems adds that Hofman waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and a status conference is set for January 5, 2026.
When “Neighborly” Isn’t Enough To Stay Safe
On paper, this tragedy doesn’t make much sense.
Devin Willems emphasizes that the surviving victim said there was “no reason” for Hofman’s actions.
They’d been hunting together for more than a decade, and the atmosphere that night started out normal.
Best’s reporting backs that up: the conversation was about hunting season, and nothing was said that should have triggered rage.
Yet somewhere between the next drink, the strange talk about killing, and the gun being picked up, everything changed.
It’s a harsh reminder that familiarity doesn’t always equal safety.
Just because you’ve known someone for years doesn’t mean you know what they’re capable of after enough alcohol or under some hidden stress or mental strain.
Guns, Alcohol, And A Five-Second Decision
None of these reporters – Willems, Borths, or Best – claim to know exactly what was going through Hofman’s mind.
What they do show, through the complaint and courtroom quotes, is how quickly an ordinary night with guns and alcohol can turn lethal.
You have three older men, on familiar land, relaxed and drinking.
You have a firearm sitting on a bar top like just another piece of hunting gear.
Then you have one bizarre line – “I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys” – and a few seconds later, one man is dead and another is defending himself inside a locked house.
It’s easy to imagine someone brushing off that comment as a dark joke in the moment.
But looking back, it feels like a warning.
This case doesn’t just raise questions about one man’s choices.
It raises questions about how casually guns and heavy drinking can mix in some social circles – and how thin the line can be between “nothing happened” and “someone never comes home again.”
A Community Left With Questions
Right now, Hofman is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The charges, the evidence, and the strange quotes will all be tested in court.
But while the legal system works through its process, Rick Roundy’s family, as Drew Best reports, is simply trying to mourn a “wonderful man” and hold onto a little privacy.
And a small Wisconsin community has to live with the knowledge that a night of hunting talk in a garage ended with one neighbor dead, another traumatized, and a 74-year-old man facing the rest of his life behind bars.
In the end, the most haunting part might be how normal everything seemed – right up until it wasn’t.
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The article ‘I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys’: Details of bizarre homicide released first appeared on Survival World.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
