In the pre‑dawn hush of Hanska, Minnesota, a community of about 400 people, chaos broke through at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday when a 911 call from a juvenile inside a home reported their mother’s ex‑boyfriend had broken in and opened fire. By the time deputies arrived, a 32‑year‑old woman and a 50‑year‑old man lay dead from gunshot wounds.
Authorities identified the suspect as 45‑year‑old Randy Thomas Zimmerman of rural Courtland, Minnesota. Aware it was on a rapid escalation toward tragedy, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert describing Zimmerman as “armed and dangerous,” noting he was last seen wearing a black or camouflage jacket, black pants, black shoes, and a black baseball‑style hat, and possibly driving a 2013 black Toyota Camry with Minnesota plates 2GU817.
Over the next several hours, multiple law‑enforcement agencies pooled resources. The search spanned across state lines, and by late afternoon—just before 4 p.m.—Zimmerman was apprehended in Iowa with the help of the Iowa State Patrol and sheriff’s offices from Louisa, Washington, and Muscatine counties. The Minnesota Sheriff’s Office said it had no additional details about the arrest circumstances.
Investigators confirmed there is a warrant out of Brown County for Zimmerman’s arrest on murder charges related to the killings. The woman and the man found in the home were pronounced dead at the scene; their names remain withheld pending family notification.
The small town of Hanska is now reeling. What began as an unthinkable interruption into what should have been a safe space—a home—has become the starting point of a tragedy that will leave long shadows in the community. Officials with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Brown County Sheriff’s Office are working to piece together motive and sequence of events: how Zimmerman entered the home, what triggered the violence, and how he fled the scene.
In the wake of the incident, neighbors speak of disbelief. In a town where everyone knows someone and quiet Sunday mornings are the norm, this breach of peace hits particularly hard. The juvenile caller’s voice on the phone captured the fear and urgency that led to first responders entering that home and discovering the victims. Now the community gathers in grief, trying to make sense of the horror, while investigators forge ahead to ensure Zimmerman is returned from Iowa to Minnesota to face charges.
As Hanska begins the slow process of healing, authorities stress the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. That the arrest came within roughly 12 hours of the initial call offers some solace in the immediate, but for a community shaken this deeply, the path ahead will be long.
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