Posted on 11/22/2004 5:31:35 AM PST by Max Combined
1 arrested after hunters find a man in their spot and shooting ensues
A dispute among deer hunters over a tree stand in northwestern Wisconsin erupted Sunday in a series of shootings that left five people dead and three others injured, officials said.
Jake Hodgkinson, a deputy at the county jail, identified the suspect as Chai Vang but would give no additional details. Several news organizations in Minneapolis-St. Paul reported the suspect was 36-years-old and from St. Paul.
The incident happened when two hunters were returning to their rural cabin on private land in Sawyer County and saw the suspect in one of their tree stands, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. A confrontation and shooting followed.
It's not known who shot first, Zeigle said.
Both men were wounded and one of them radioed back to the cabin. Other hunters responded and were shot, he said. Some of the victims may have shot back at the suspect, Zeigle said.
The suspect was ``sniping'' at the victims with a SKS assault-style rifle, Zeigle said. He was ``chasing after them and killing them,'' he said.
The dead included four males, including a teenage boy, and a woman, Zeigle said. The man who radioed for help was not fatally wounded. Some of the victims were shot more than once.
All five were dead when officers arrived, he said.
Authorities found two bodies near each other and the other three were scattered around the area, which is near Town of Meteor in southwestern Sawyer County. Two people who stayed in the cabin emerged safely after the shootings.
The suspect, who did not have a compass, got lost in the woods and two other hunters, not knowing the man was being sought in the shootings, helped him find his way out, Zeigle said. When he emerged from the woods, a Department of Natural Resources officer recognized the deer license on his back, given to police by a victim, Zeigle said.
The man was out of bullets when they arrested him, Zeigle said.
One of the injured hunters was in critical condition at St. Joseph's Hospital. Another was listed in serious condition and the third was in fair condition, both at Lakeview Medical Center.
Wisconsin's statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday and lasts for nine days.
Bill Wagner, 72, of Oshkosh, was about two miles away near Deer Lake with a party of about 20 other hunters. He said the incident was ``very upsetting.''
After they got word of a shooting, he and others went to round up the rest of the party. He said they heard sirens, planes and helicopters and noticed the surrounding roads blocked off.
``When you're hunting you don't expect somebody to try to shoot you and murder you,'' he said. ``You have no idea who is coming up to you.''
The incident won't stop their hunt, he said.
``We're all old, dyed-in-wool hunters,'' he said. ``We wouldn't go home because of this but we will keep it in our minds. We're not forgetting it.''
Well, I'm just saying that if you put money on the fact that they are illegals, you would have lost your bet.
One does't hear the round coming during an ambush...it ain't like TV.....and...it ain't Iraq....it's Wisconsin.
We'll see if that's the case when we know more about this guy.
I hadn't read all the details, including the fact that this guy is Vietnamese. Even so, why would he set out to kill at least five people? Did he think he was being shot at and then went berserk? Dunno. Unreal.
Why is his ethnicity the first issue for so many Freepers in this case? This is the third or fourth thread on this thing, and every one has devolved into Hmong bashing.
Because most Freepers don't like to see American citizens killed by foreigners who have no business being here.
Where he comes from makes no difference, the fact that he should never have been here in the first place does.
No Max, I'm pointing out the ignorant a-holes who pollute the FR community.
I found a guy in my deer stand in rural Tennessee one morning. The stand is in the middle of six acres I bought for hunting and when I asked the guy why he was there he told me it was his property. I replied "then why have I been paying taxes on it for ten years?". He then said "I guess you want me to move huh?". Duh! A few days later I was sitting in the stand when a bullet came whizzing by my head. I could see the guy who took the shot on a ridge a few hundred yards away. This was no mistake, he was shooting at me! I looked like a 200 squirrel sliding down that tree.
Need details re: what tripped this guy's mental trigger.
What possible details justify this?
NOT TAKEING SIDES YET< TILL I GET ALL THE STORY
Could be he was shot at first ,
know of a few cases of this happening in this neck of the woods (lucky they haven't killed someone , some hunters are too chicken-$hit or scared to confront someone too thier face. but have shot at the tree some one was in.
Laos, China, Thailand and Viet Nam
The Hmong refugees in America are almost exclusively from Laos.
Something set this guy off, and he apparently didn't stop until there was nothing left to shoot.
Lots of questions; What was the dispute; Why didn't the victims shoot back, or did they try?; Who was the shooter - illegal alien or criminal history, or just Joe Sixpack having a bad day?; Is the shooter going to claim self defense, etc, was he threatened?
In any case, a tragedy all around.
So, the Hmong had it rough there, what group of immigrants hasn't? If it's so tough in WI then pack up and move in with your relatives in St Paul.
Did you report this apparent case of attempted murder to the police?
I figure they confronted him from a distance.He shot them both from his elevated position before they got close to him.They were wounded,but he didn't finish them off,so he climbed down at that point,in which they were probably seeking cover to radio for help.He then tried to escape.At some point he must have stopped,being lost.He saw others coming close and fired on them.Not knowing if they were part of the hunting party or not.I think he was just shooting anyone he saw at this point.This would explain why the first two hunter were only wounded.He didn't stick around to finish them and had no idea others were coming to their aid,IF,as reported he doesn't speak english.
Luckily,for the last two hunters he encountered,he was out of ammo or they'd be dead too.He had no idea if they were looking for him or not.
Pure speculation on my part,but the only way I can see someone taking out 5 armed people,wounding 3,and not getting shot in the process.
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