Posted on 11/22/2004 7:20:55 AM PST by Rio
BIRCHWOOD, Wis. - A deer hunter shot and killed five people and wounded three others in northwestern Wisconsin following a dispute about a tree stand during the hunt's opening weekend, authorities said.
The 36-year-old alleged gunman was arrested Sunday afternoon, Sawyer County sheriff's officials said. Jake Hodgkinson, a deputy at the county jail, identified the suspect as Chai Vang but would give no additional details.
Paul Schnell, a spokesman for the St. Paul, Minn., police department, said the man was from St. Paul.
The incident began when two hunters were returning to their rural cabin on private land in Sawyer County when they saw the suspect in one of their hunting platforms in a tree, County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said. A confrontation and shooting followed.
It's not known who shot first, Zeigle said.
Both hunters were wounded and one of them radioed to the cabin a quarter mile away. Other hunters responded and were shot. About 20 shots were fired, but it's unclear who shot them, he said.
The dead included a a teenage boy and a woman, Zeigle said. A father and son were among them, he said. Some of the victims were shot more than once.
All five, from the Rice Lake area, were dead when officers arrived to the area in southwestern Sawyer County, he said. Authorities found two bodies near each other and the others were scattered over 100 yards.
"It's absolutely nuts. Why? Over sitting in a tree stand?" asked Zeigle.
Zeigle said the suspect was "chasing after them and killing them," with a SKS 7.62 mm semiautomatic rifle, a common hunting weapon. Wisconsin's statewide deer gun hunting season started Saturday and lasts for nine days.
Two young 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 hunters, not knowing about the shootings, helped him find his way out, Zeigle said. When he emerged, 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 and was arrested, 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.
Hunter Bill Wagner, 72, of Oshkosh, was about two miles away near Deer Lake with a party of about 20 other hunters. After they got word of the 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."
It took about three hours to round up the other hunters, who were up to four miles apart, Wagner 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."
One of the youth in my deer camp used an SKS one morning. He shot and lost one of the biggest, best deer seen that season.
Needless to say, no one in my camp would ever consider using anything that shoots the 7.62x39 round.
10-4
Sweet.
Nope. Just can’t put more than 3 (or 5 or however many your state allows) in it.
You have a full-auto AR-10? Mine's a semi. And yes, it's also legal for hunting in VA.
The Nungs were mountain tribes that the CIA enlisted on our side during the VietNam war to help interdict the Ho Chi Minh trail. Remember Gen. Vang Pao? Very tough fighters, but this fellow would have been too young to participate.
Many of them were hunted down and killed by the Vietnamese after the war and their homeland villages razed. Survivors fled to Thailand and some were allowed to immigrate to the US in recognition of their service to the US. A large contingent congregated in the upper midwest in Minn and Wisconsin.
I wonder if this incident could have been caused by the argument kindling a vestigal cultural issue of 'face' in the guy.
Few hunters go into the wood expecting to be the hunted.
spunkets
"I doubt any of them shot back."
I think so, too. Even though they were forewarned there was a nut running around shooting hunters, they walked into an ambush. The perp could easily hear the others coming and just pick them off as they approached. IMO
They never knew what hit them. Sad.
As Robert357 points out in post#16, you can load quality hunting ammo in that caliber (and I know Remington, at least, markets hunting ammo with good brass), but most of the store bought ammo is designed for two legged critters in terms of projectile and ballistics, hollow points not withstanding.
Apparently he left and exchanged his legal gun(5 round max capacity) for the SKS. That indicates he intended to kill folks.
"it takes a certain measure of expertise and experience to prevail that way when lead is being slung."
That's right. The landowner's party consisted of family and friends. I'm sure they were in shock and in no way anticipated, or were capapable of a gunfight. Of the 6 that came to the rescue, one was a woman, probably the mom of the teenager that was shot in that group. 2 younger persons remained back at the cabin. They ran out to render first aid, not to get into a fight. As it happened, some were actually chased down and shot. These folks weren't warriors.
Lots of fun at the local ranges. I always draw a crowd, and am happy to let them try them out.
Unfortunately, there's only one nearby 1,000yd range for my Barrett M82A1 .50cal BMG to *exercise* at; anything under 1,000yds isn't worth wasting ammo.
I agree...I also don't think the guy was there to hunt - he was there for an ambush.
Your DNR rule book says the mag capacity can be no more than 5. If the mag can hold more, a block must be inserted to lower it's capacity.
They were not shot....as in a hunting accident they were murdered because they told him to get off their land...
The Hmong left the scene went back to his vehicle to retrieve his semi auto then came back and most likely flanked them so he could surprise them...this shows forethought imo
They probably should have held him for the Sheriff for trespassing but they were probably
feeling generous or just did not want to be bothered with the hassle...
Too true. Personally, my experience when leaving “civilization” and entering a “wild” area is that you’d best go prepared for animals, whether they walk on four legs or two.
He apparently went back and sat in the same tree stand. The surprise was him opening up with the SKS he exchanged his hunting gun for.
"I wonder if this incident could have been caused by the argument kindling a vestigal cultural issue of 'face' in the guy."
Could be. Years ago, there were some ugly incidents in the Gulf of Mexico involving Vietnamese working as commercial fishermen. I don't know whether the Coast Guard was ever able to really quell that territorial behavior; it may have subsided because the original refugees quit working the boats and their sons took over.
I think the landowner's entire party of 10 consisted of family and friends, none of whom were warriors. I think a mom and her teenage kid were shot. 2 young ones remained back at the cabin. Some people aren't prepared for sits like this.
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