A second man’s escape from the garage is now a key part of the case against Brent Hofman.
SHAWANO, Wis. — A man who survived a fatal shooting on rural hunting property told dispatchers he had locked himself inside another building after a friend was shot and the accused gunman followed him, according to a criminal complaint.
The call is now one of the central pieces of the case against 75-year-old Brent Hofman, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. Prosecutors say Hofman killed 67-year-old Rick Roundy inside a detached garage in the town of Germania and then pursued the second man, who armed himself and fired through glass as deputies were on the way.
The complaint’s account begins not with the first gunshot, but with the survivor’s flight. After Roundy went down, the man ran from the garage and barricaded himself in a different building on the property. He grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and called 911. His words to the dispatcher were blunt. “If that guy comes to the window, he is f—ing dead,” he said, according to the complaint. The statement, later repeated to investigators, captured what authorities say was the fear and speed of the moment. The survivor said Hofman wanted to get into the building and kill him.
Investigators say the survivor’s fear was based on what had just unfolded inside the garage. Roundy and the witness had been at a residence in the town of Germania when Hofman came over from down the road with a pistol and had been drinking. The men were not strangers. The witness said he and Roundy had known Hofman for more than a decade because they hunted on adjacent properties and often talked about deer. That night, the complaint says, the three had cocktails and spoke about hunting. The witness told police there were no issues before Hofman began making comments about killing them.
The comment that prosecutors have highlighted came as Hofman picked up a pistol from the bar, according to the complaint. “I hope you’ll excuse me if I have to kill you guys,” he allegedly said. The surviving man told police the words were out of character and had not followed a fight. He said neither he nor Roundy had done anything that would aggravate Hofman. Then, the witness said, Hofman began shooting. Roundy was struck. The survivor’s account describes a sudden break from an ordinary hunting-season gathering into a deadly attack with no clear motive stated in the charging document.
Once outside the garage, the survivor’s actions became the second half of the case. He locked himself in the other building, stayed on the phone with 911 and watched for Hofman. The complaint says Hofman pursued him. When Hofman came to the glass, the survivor fired. The shot shattered the glass, and Hofman suffered severe cuts to his face. Those injuries later became part of the scene deputies encountered when they arrived. Authorities say Hofman was very intoxicated when he was taken into custody. He was transported for medical treatment before being booked into the Shawano County Jail.
The 911 call also helps explain why Hofman faces an attempted homicide count in addition to the murder charge. Prosecutors allege he did not stop after Roundy was shot but moved toward the surviving witness, who believed he was still in danger. The witness’s name has not been released in public reports, and the complaint identifies him only as Victim 2. His account is expected to be important if the case reaches trial because he is the person who described Hofman’s alleged words before the shooting, Roundy’s collapse, the escape from the garage and the confrontation at the glass door.
Hofman’s statements after deputies arrived are also part of the public account. According to the complaint, he asked a deputy why the deputy shot him. The deputy told him officers had not shot him. Hofman then allegedly said, “Thank you,” and “I love you.” Prosecutors have described Hofman as intoxicated at the scene. The complaint does not say whether investigators believe alcohol explains the shooting, and it does not give a motive. It says the three men had been drinking, that Hofman had a pistol and that the surviving witness saw no dispute that would explain the gunfire.
The legal process has moved through several stages since the November shooting. Hofman was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in Roundy’s death and attempted first-degree intentional homicide involving the second man. A judge set cash bond at $1 million. Hofman was later bound over for trial after a preliminary hearing, where the court found enough evidence for the case to continue. He entered not guilty pleas in May. A status conference is scheduled for July 8, when lawyers are expected to discuss scheduling and the next steps toward trial.
The charges carry severe possible penalties. A conviction for first-degree intentional homicide in Wisconsin brings a mandatory life sentence, though the court can decide whether a defendant may someday be eligible for extended supervision. The attempted homicide charge can carry decades in prison. Both charges include a dangerous weapon enhancer, and the count tied to Roundy includes an increased penalty related to his age. Hofman is presumed innocent unless convicted, and the complaint’s version of events has not yet been tested before a jury.
Roundy’s death has left the case with two sharply different accounts likely to matter in court: the prosecution’s description of a sudden, unprovoked shooting and whatever defense Hofman’s lawyers later present. The public record so far gives the clearest voice to the surviving witness, whose call to 911 began while he was locked inside a building, armed with a rifle and waiting to see whether Hofman would reach the glass. His account supplies the timeline from the garage to the second building and from the fatal shot to the arrest.
Hofman remains jailed as the case waits for the July 8 court date. The next hearing is expected to show whether the case is moving toward trial scheduling, motions or another form of resolution.
Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.