Elgin Man Charged With Shooting At Hunters Showed No Regrets

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Elgin, MN (KROC AM News) - A rural Elgin man charged with firing at some hunters reportedly later told a deputy he “made the mistake in not finishing it."

Arraigned in Olmsted County Court Monday was 63-year-old Paul Reichel. His conditional bail was set at $25,000. He is facing six felony assault charges and two drive-by shooting counts. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office earlier reported he had a Rochester address.

Reichel is accused of chasing three men in his truck and shooting a rifle at them two different times Saturday in rural northeast Olmsted County. The men said several rounds were fired but their vehicle was not hit.

The man said they were pheasant hunting when they heard a woman yell at them to get off her property. The men said they drove away and minutes later, Reichel began chasing them.

A deputy who located Reichel interviewed him and his wife. She told the deputy the men swore at her. According to the criminal complaint, “Reichel stated that he was upset the group of hunters threatened his wife and that if [he] wanted to [he] could have killed them."

Reichel said he did not shoot at the group of hunters but in their direction. Reichel also admitted to having fired in the direction of hunters on his property in the past.