Further, most mass shootings involve premeditation. Nov. 23, 2004 HAYWARD, Wis., Nov. 22 - Twenty-four years ago, a youth named Chai Soua Vang was part of the first wave of immigrants from Laos who came to the United States after the Indochina. Judge Norman Yackel ordered Chai Soua Vang, 37, to serve six life prison terms, one after the other, guaranteeing he would never be freed from prison. The prosecution made use of these facts in arguing against the claim of self-defense.[16][17]. He lived a remarkable life and touched many souls during his journey in this world. Three of the hunters were gunned down as they tried to protect themselves. Chai Soua Vang (born September 24, 1968) is a naturalized Hmong American from Laos who was convicted of murder, but claimed self defense. in the Chai Soua Vang homicide trial in Hayward. Nichols' public defender issued a reminder that the charges are only allegations. Court documents filed Tuesday allege that Chai Soua Vang told authorities he was taunted and shot at, then ran through the woods firing at unarmed people, shooting at least one hunter in the back . Jerry Holt/star Tribune ---Thomas Nelson who lives in the 800 block of East Forth Street in St. Paul, and next door neighbor to Chai Soua Vang the. Married with 3 children. Survivor testifies about fatal shootings in Wisconsin woods. Willers, meanwhile, had regained feeling in his fingers, and called the cabin for help. Shots zipped past over Hesebecks head. This led to an altercation and he claimed self-defense after shooting 6 dead and wounding 2. Chai Soua Vang, charged with killing six hunters and injuring two others in the woods of northwest Wisconsin in November, took the stand Thursday and outlined in . In his testimony, Willers spoke slowly and quietly. Chai Soua Vang, a hunter and reported military sharpshooter from St. Paul, will die in prison for the murders. We want the woods to be a place where everyone can come together and enjoy the sport all the way through, regardless of their skin color, and (understand) that acts of an individual are not the acts of an entire race, he said. Chia had 4 siblings: Unknown Vaj and 3 . Can you tell me, on that day, did they deserve to die? asked Wisconsin Atty. Vang, a six-year veteran of the California National Guard, shot eight people while on a hunting trip in northern Wisconsin on November 21, 2004; six were killed and two were wounded. Gen. Peg Lautenschlager, who led the cross-examination of Vang. Eight Wisconsin deer hunters were hunted down like prey by a stranger found trespassing on private hunting grounds near Meteor, Wisconsin. While on a hunting trip in northern Wisconsin, Vang shot eight people, who were also hunting in the area, on November 21, 2004. . Not About Hunting Nov 21, 2022. And Laski deserved to die because he had a gun & was using it to threaten a life, he said. Joey Crotteau, 20, Robert's son Up in Wisconsin, a gentleman named Chai Soua Vang, a 36-year-old Hmong immigrant, just blew away six people, apparently because they threw him out of their privately-owned deer stand he had decided to take over for his own use. Rice Lake. Everybody has had to carry on. The first shot missed. Jessicas father, Terry, 48, and Lauren Hesebeck, 49, were injured. Clear Search Query Submit Search. He then shot three where they sat or crouched, chased down a father and adult son who fled, and ambushed a young nurse and her driver from behind as they rode unarmed on an ATV to render aid. Authorities say Nichols shot Cha Vang and stabbed him six times. I was thinking this was it.". The tragedy has emotionally scarred hunters, the Rice Lake community and the public in general. Vang, a six-year veteran of the California National Guard, shot eight people while on a hunting trip in northern Wisconsin on November 21, 2004; six were killed and two were wounded. Willers said he was alone when he confronted Chai Vang. [3][4], On the weekend of the shootings, Vang went out deer hunting with two friends and their two sons in northwest Wisconsin, a region where deer hunting is particularly popular, east of Birchwood, Wisconsin around the town of Meteor. Chai Vang unintentionally trespassed on private hunting land in northern Wisconsin. Willers and Hesebeck indicated only one shot was fired at Vang by Hesebeck, who was already wounded while some of his friends lay mortally wounded on the ground. Shots zipped past over Hesebecks head. His first marriage ended after he accused his wife of infidelity and pointed a loaded handgun at her. The article also said the shootings took place in Rice Lake, Wis. Chai Soua Vang, 37, mailed eight pages of handwritten documents from a priso. Vang said, You not dead yet? and raised his rifle to shoot. However, he don't know that his action would become a complication to. The Hmong immigrant was found guilty of murdering six deer hunters and wounding two others during a confrontation over trespassing, rejecting his claims he shot in self-defense after one hunter used racial slurs and another fired at him. Though the killings occurred about 50 miles southwest of the courthouse, residents here say the carnage has increased the already tense relations between locals in the predominantly white region and Hmong immigrants. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. September 12, 2005. People gather at a picnic in Hunters Memorial Park in Rice Lake, Wis., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006. When he fired, the bullet struck Jessica in the left buttock, and struck Laski, shattering his lower spine and abdomen. Friend Denny Drew, 55, would lie mortally wounded, shot through the lower chest, pancreas, stomach, and small intestine. We knew we had the right guy.. Shooting survivor Terry Willers and his wife Patricia walk out of Time moves on, but the memories last forever. Chai Soua Vang from Beyond Contempt True Crime on Podchaser, aired Thursday, 24th March 2022. Scan this QR code to download the app now. A funeral service for Soua will be held Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Weaver Mortuary, 1177 Beaumont Ave, Beaumont, California 92223. As he neared the site, he and Hesebeck came face to face. shifting the focus away from the events, etc., to fragment the narrative, which led to contradictions and language struggles in Vang's responses. Every time its brought up, people feel so bad.. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Intelligence agencies say theres no sign U.S. adversaries were behind Havana syndrome, Spain approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and trans laws. assaulted him before Vang started firing at the group Nov. 21 in The tragedy has emotionally scarred hunters, the Rice Lake community and the. Investigators said they found one weapon at the crime scene. In Wisconsin and Minnesota a hunting license comes with a book that spells out regulations. Friend Lauren Hesebeck would be struggling with a bullet wound in his left upper arm and shoulder, but surviving. The hunting party loosely surrounded Vang while Crotteau yelled, but no one hit, kicked, or pushed the trespasser. I drew my gun, and gave him commands to put his hands up and listen to my instructions. Of the dead, Vang shot four in the back and two in the side, executing three with follow-up shots as if dispatching a wounded animal. But Willers had radioed to his hunting party in a nearby cabin. Vang shot Drew next as the Crotteaus fled, and fired three shots at close range while chasing Hesebeck around the UTV. Campbell says he attended the Saint Paul group's forum in Green Bay and he took a dim view of the event. Vang eventually came across another hunter riding an ATV (who had no affiliation with the victims), and this hunter offered to give him a ride, eventually taking him to Vang's cabin. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He is currently serving 6 consecutive life sentences. Soua was born February 2, 1936 in Phoukhoune, Laos to. There is no photo or video of Soua Vang.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Terry Willers was the first eyewitness to the shooting to testify. Shot in the Folks are talking about what the Hmong community will do if hes convicted, and what the locals will do if hes acquitted.. Its pretty tough to imagine.. He basically single handedly won a firefight against 8 armed whites. No doubt news of that shootout has anti-gun and anti-hunting activists clucking . In 2004, a man by the name of Chai Soua Vang killed six deer hunters and wounded two others while being confronted about his trespassing on private land in Wisconsin. Meteor extends over a large sparsely populated area. Tou Ger Xiong is with a Saint Paul group, the Coalition for Community Relations, which held a weekend forum in Green Bay to discuss race relations and the recent killing. the heart and a poison to the mind of the next generation to overcome. Two Hotheads Collide And I said, 'On purpose?' The study concludes . Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers. Vang faces six counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Hmong liaison is Kou Xiong. Chai Vang was a decorated marksman with a military background. Xia Soua Chang was 85 years old when he recently passed on December 5, 2017. This publication will provide readers with the best true crime content on Medium. Privacy Policy. "He just kept saying it was stupid, what happened. At one point, he turned his hunting jacket to the camouflage-colored side to be more invisible, and dropped to a prone position to hide and get a better view of the hunters he was chasing. Bail for James Nichols was set at $500,000. You dont kill people because they disrespect you., Culhane agreed. A handful of people from Twin Cities Hmong community were in the courtroom to show support for Vang. Vang had a 3- to 4-inch wooden stick in his clenched teeth, and his body. He wasnt the victim. MurderPM. They only talked a little about what happened. They claim the hunter (s) called Vang racist names, and that one of the hunters shot at him before he opened fire. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Vang family members and friends joined them. Vang sprinted to cut the corner to the trail to close the gap, and shot him in the lower back at about 65 yards. He pulled the telescopic sight from his rifle because if I had the scope, I couldnt shoot close distance.. Upon receiving a response in the negative, he approached Vang and told him to leave the property and allegedly called Vang racial slurs. Though the term does not necessarily have a racial connotation, the defense argued that it did, due to the fact that Willers and the others did not know at the time that Vang was from Minnesota. Shot Meanwhile, Joey Crotteau accused Vang of giving him the bird, which Vang denied. He held his composure, except for a moment, when he spoke of his daughter Jess, one of the hunters who'd been killed that day. Share Follow Report this obituary Events There are no events at this time. (AP Photo/Stormi Greener, Pool), Chai Soua Vang shows how he pointed his rifle as he testified at his murder trial Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005, in Hayward, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, Pool). He also shot many of them multiple times. One Woman Is on Death Row in Kentucky. After one of the whites fired a shot at Chai while his back was turned, Chai went into full on fight or flight mode. Hunters Park, on the northwest side of Rice Lake, is dedicated to the deceased hunters. He then heard a slight metallic sound from Vangs rifle, and realized Vang was out of bullets. He had caught an ATV ride out of the area, which was swarming with law enforcement by then, but was taken into custody about 3 1/2 miles from the murder scene when Jeremy Peery, now a DNR conservation warden supervisor in Eau Claire, recognized the number. SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 99/month for 3 months Show Search. number of strategies, such as juxtaposition, abrupt topic shifts, shifting the focus away from the events, etc., to fragment the narrative, which led to contradictions and . Vang then apologized and started moving south towards a trail through a forested area of the property. Some families have named children in honor of those who were slain. If there's ever a race-based civil war or a repressive police state in the future, a well armed minority population with basic firearms proficiency may be the best hope we have of a fighting chance in this country. A reminder that the charges are only allegations, 2006 Wikipedia the language links are the. Is no photo or video of Soua Vang.Be the first to share a memory to pay.... Unknown Vaj and 3 17 ] south towards a trail through chai soua vang passed away forested area the! 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