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Left inset: Brent Hofman (Shawano County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Rick Roundy (Cotter Funeral and Cremation Care). Background: The Wisconsin home and garage where cops say Rick Roundy was found dead after being killed by Brent Hofman (WSAW).
In a shocking incident that unfolded in Wisconsin, a 75-year-old man, Brent Hofman, stunned his friends during a casual gathering by announcing, “I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys.” Moments later, he tragically followed through on his words, fatally shooting one of his companions. The victim, 67-year-old Ricky Roundy, was killed inside a garage where the group had been socializing, as detailed in the police report.
Hofman, a resident of Shawano County, is now facing serious charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, for the November 2025 shooting. The criminal complaint outlines the chilling sequence of events that abruptly turned a friendly reunion into a fatal encounter.
Accompanying Hofman and Roundy was another individual, referred to in the complaint as “Victim #2.” This individual recounted to investigators that they had known Hofman for over a decade, having forged a bond through hunting on neighboring lands. Despite describing Hofman as “a bit weird” and “a hermit sort of dude,” Victim #2 noted that they had never had any issues with him and frequently discussed deer hunting.
On the day of the incident, the trio gathered at a home in the Town of Germania. According to the complaint, Hofman arrived with a pistol in hand and under the influence of alcohol. The gathering seemed ordinary at first, with the men enjoying cocktails and sharing hunting stories in a detached garage. However, the atmosphere took a dark turn when Hofman abruptly mentioned the idea of “killing you guys,” a statement that would soon lead to the tragic shooting.
“Victim #2 stated he and [Roundy] were at Victim #1s residence when Brent Hofman, who lives down the road, arrived with a pistol and had been drinking,” the complaint explains. “Victim #2 stated the three men had a few cocktails and talked about deer hunting and there were no issues. He stated the three of them were all in Victim #1s detached garage. Victim #2 stated that Brent randomly starts saying something about, ‘Killing you guys.’”
Hofman proceeded to pick a pistol up from the bar and told his two buddies, “I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys,” the complaint says.
“This comment was out of the ordinary and Hofman had never said something like that during that evening or any other times they were together,” the document alleges. “Victim #2 stated neither he or Victim #1 said anything that would aggravate or upset Brent to cause him to do this.”
The surviving witness told police that Hofman “just starts to shoot for no reason,” striking Roundy and causing him to “go down.” The man said he fled and then locked himself in a building on the property and grabbed a .22-caliber rifle to defend himself, while calling 911.
“If that guy comes to the window, he is f—ing dead,” the man told a police dispatcher, according to the complaint, which also cites statements that the man gave to police afterward. “And he did. And I started to shoot,” the man recalled. “[Hofman] was going to get into the house, he wanted to kill me.”
Hofman pursued the man, who shot him through a glass door. The glass shattered, leaving Hofman with severe cuts to his face. Deputies showed up and took Hofman, who was allegedly very intoxicated, into custody.
“Why did you shoot me?” Hofman asked a deputy, who “advised he did not shoot him,” according to the complaint. “Thank you,” Hofman allegedly told the deputy. “I love you.”
Court records show that Hofman entered pleas of not guilty on Thursday in Shawano County Circuit Court. He is due back in court on July 8.