Bad news. Hunter loses it, kills five, wounds others

[Bigfoot]

Here's the Victims Fund, I don't remember seeing it posted anywhere.

Rice Lake Hunters Survivors and Victims Fund
Dairy State Bank
16 S. Main St.
Rice Lake, Wis. 54868

 

[TechBrute]

The shooter's statement came out yesterday. Until then, there was 2 days of everyone jumping to conclusions. Personally, I think the guy's a psycho, but it's not as one sided as everyone initially believed.

 

[voilsb]

He was lost in the woods and climbed into an unoccupied deer stand. After about 15 minutes, another hunter came upon the scene, told Vang he was on private property and told him to leave.

That's when he should have gotten out of the stand, apologized, said he was lost, and proceeded off the property. Voila, everyone's happy.

The man summoned his friends via radio. Others showed up, surrounded Vang and started using racial epithets.

Shouldn't he have been gone by this point? Or at least, on his way out?

Vang said only one of the people confronting him was armed. Vang said that as he turned to leave, he saw the man with the gun point it at him. Then, Vang said the man fired at him from about 100 feet, with the bullet hitting the ground about 30 feet behind. Vang said he knelt and fired twice. The man dropped.

Okay, possibly self-defense. That's acceptable to generate reasonable doubt in conviction.

Others in the group began to run, some through the woods and others to the ATVs on which they'd arrived. Vang said he fired more shots and others in the group dropped. He said he chased one man (believed to be Joey Crotteau) through the woods, firing as he ran. The man was yelling ''Help me! Help me!'' as he ran. Vang said that when he got to within about 15 feet of him, Vang fired again, and the man fell. Vang said he walked up to the man, heard him groan and then walked away.

This, however, if murder, flat out. Shooting guys who are running away. Shooting them in the back. Chasing them down, and making sure they're dead. That's murder, not self-defense.

 

[Bigfoot]

More information on the backshooter. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...8&e=9&u=/ap/20041124/ap_on_re_us/hunters_shot

 

[KAR120C]

I agree with Voilsb's comments. If the land owner was stupid/criminal enough to actually fire a shot, regardless of whether it was meant to kill or scare, then he opened himself up to return fire. Note the "if" though. After that it was murder/getting rid of witnesses.

I work in St. Paul, with a lot of people named Vang. I imagine some know this guy or are even related to him. All the Vang's I know are cheerful and hardworking. This guy, however, is murdering scum.

I never hear anyone mention the cost of the rifle as being a deciding factor for this guy using an SKS. He's from East St. Paul, the poor side of town. And from what I understand the SKS is one of the best bargains out there. Ironically enough I was just considering getting one myself last week.

 

[Bigfoot]

Police are now checking to see if Vang had a connection with a 2001 murder of a deer hunter 80 miles from last weekends incident. In 2001 a hunter named Jim Southworth was found dead with gunshots to his back that exited his chest. Sound familiar?

In that case police are looking for three asians who left in a late '80's silver nissan or chevy pickup.

Vang owned a 1987 Nissan pickup in 2001 and had out of state hunting tags to Wisconson for 2001.

Pretty circumstancial at this point, if vang was involved hopefully there will be a casing or bullet match, or Jim Southworths Ruger 77 30-06 (which was not at the murder scene) might turn up connected with Vang, etc.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

I work in St. Paul, with a lot of people named Vang. I imagine some know this guy or are even related to him. All the Vang's I know are cheerful and hardworking. This guy, however, is murdering scum.

Well, maybe one in four Hmong in Minnesota are named Vang. I found 400+ in St. Paul alone in the online yellow pages -- and I only got up to first names starting with G!

 

[larry_minn]

Regards him not shooting other hunters who helped him find his way out of woods. I understand he was OUT OF AMMO.......


They can thank their lucky stars he was out of ammo.

 

[RKCheung]

Police report says he stated that he threw the rest of his ammo in the water prior to meeting the hunters who led him out.

 

[molonlabe]

I bet he ran out.

 

[joebogey]

molonlabe

I bet he ran out.

I have no idea what happened, but I would think it would be better for a jury to hear how " you were so sickened by what happened, you threw the rest of your ammo away."
Rather than," I had to quit shooting cause I ran out of shells.

I'm bettin you're right.