Charges: Man stabbed stranger in Duluth bar because he thought victim was gay

A 25-year-old man is accused of stabbing a stranger with a broken bottle in the bathroom of a Duluth nightclub because he thought the victim is gay. Kyle Eugene Heisler Jr., of Deer River, has been charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, threats of violence, and obstruction. The alleged incident unfolded shortly after midnight Sunday at Aces on First in downtown Duluth. According to a criminal complaint, Heisler confronted the victim, a 37-year-old man, at the urinal in the bar’s bathroom and directed “homophobic slurs” at him and his friend, then stabbed him with a broken Busch Light bottle. St. Louis County The victim sustained 2- to 3-inch slash wound on the left side of his abdomen and several puncture wounds on his chest. When he was taken to a hospital, doctors determined that the man’s kidney had been punctured. Heisler was identified as the attacker and arrested somewhere near Aces on First minutes after officers were dispatched. Officers noted that he appeared to have blood on his shirt. The complaint says Heisler was “highly combative” during his arrest and “made numerous threats” to officers, including that he would put the arresting officer “in the dirt” and that he would “get” the investigating officer upon his release. The victim had gone to the bar with his wife and friends to dance after they attended a wedding reception. None of them were aware of any interaction with Heisler before the stabbing, indicating that it was motivated by his “brief observation” of the man dancing with the others. As reported by the Duluth News Tribune, a prosecutor believes the attack was “based solely on a cursory and incorrect assessment of the person’s sexual orientation.” St. Louis County prosecutor Mike Ryan described Heisler as “a threat to virtually anyone who crosses his path,” and said his “conduct evinces a willingness to resort to extreme violence with very little motivation.” Since it may have been a bias-motivated crime, it’s possible that additional charges will be filed against Heisler, whose bail was set at $100,000.