The Hawthorne Hill Shooting & The Fall of Michael Barisone

The episode delves into the explosive unraveling of Hawthorne Hill, an elite equestrian training facility in New Jersey, and the tragic shooting of rider Lauren Kanerich by its founder, Michael Barisone. What began as a dream opportunity for Lauren—a high-priced training program with Olympic-level coach Michael—quickly devolved into a toxic power struggle fueled by ego, obsession, and escalating online warfare. Lauren’s fixation on Michael’s prized horse, JT, and her belief that his girlfriend Mary was blocking her progress led to a series of increasingly aggressive social media posts, which Michael interpreted as a direct threat. Tensions peaked when Child Protective Services arrived at the farm, prompting Michael to believe his children were in danger. In a moment of crisis, he retrieved a gun from a safe and shot Lauren twice at close range. Though critically injured, Lauren survived and fought back, leading to Michael’s arrest and a high-profile trial. The jury ultimately found him not guilty by reason of insanity, citing months of psychological torment and a psychotic break. He was committed to a psychiatric facility, later released under strict conditions, and banned for life from U.S. equestrian events by SafeSport. The story remains unresolved, with both sides fighting for narrative control—Lauren’s family accusing Netflix’s documentary of bias, while Michael continues to sue the equestrian federation, claiming they failed to act on prior warnings about Lauren’s behavior.