Posted on 11/24/2004 9:44:22 AM PST by LouAvul
HAYWARD, Wis. – The man suspected of shooting six hunters to death and a survivor agree that the tragedy began with a confrontation on private land. But they sharply differ on what happened next.
Survivor Lauren Hesebeck told investigators Chai Vang, 36, of St. Paul, Minn., turned around after a verbal exchange and started shooting his rifle from 40 yards away.
But Vang told Sawyer County investigators he began firing only after one of Hesebeck's hunting buddies, Terry Willers, shot at him with a rifle from about 100 feet away and missed. Vang, a Hmong immigrant from Laos, also claimed the hunters taunted him with racial slurs and warned him he would be reported to law enforcement for being on private land, according to a document filed Tuesday.
Hesebeck's version, contained in the same statement, makes no mention of that type of language or verbal hostility, other than saying Vang used profanity at one point.
Hesebeck, who was released from a hospital Tuesday after treatment for a shoulder wound, told investigators Willers shot at Vang after Vang fired first but missed.
Both accounts agreed that Vang shot the others as more people from the deer camp arrived at the scene, summoned by Hesebeck using a walkie-talkie to call for help.
Vang said he continued firing as the group scattered, and at one point chased one of the hunters and shot him in the back, only to find the man had no gun, the document states.
Authorities have said there was only one gun among the victims. According to investigators, it's believed Vang fired at least 20 shots.
Hesebeck told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis on Tuesday that much of what he had heard in news media reports about the shootings was not accurate.
"A lot of it is not true," he said. "But at this point, I just can't discuss anything." Members of his family and another victim's family had planned to talk with reporters Wednesday but canceled the news conference.
Sunday's shootings occurred after Vang got lost while hunting, climbed into a tree stand on private property and then got into the confrontation with Willers and others hunting with him.
The victims were part of a group of about 15 people who made their annual opening-weekend trip to the 400-acre property co-owned by Robert Crotteau and Willers.
Killed were Crotteau, 42; his son, Joey Crotteau, 20; Al Laski, 43; Mark Roidt, 28; Jessica Willers, 27; and Denny Drew, 55, all from the Rice Lake area. Terry Willers, Jessica's father, remained hospitalized Wednesday in good condition.
Vang was arrested about four hours after the shootings as he emerged from the woods with his empty semiautomatic rifle. Five people died in the woods; a sixth died Monday in a hospital. Two others were wounded.
Hmong 'Condemn These Atrocities'
There have been previous clashes between Southeast Asian and white hunters in the region. Hunters have complained the Hmong do not understand the concept of private property and hunt wherever they want. The tension once led to a fistfight in Minnesota, and a Hmong bow hunter in Wisconsin this fall reported having at least two white hunters point guns at him.
About 24,000 Hmong live in St. Paul, the highest concentration of any U.S. city. Hmong leaders condemned the shootings and offered condolences to victims' families.
"What happened in Wisconsin is in no way representative of the Hmong people and what they stand for," said Cha Vang, no relation to the suspect.
"We stand before you as representatives of the greater law-abiding Hmong community to unconditionally, unconditionally, condemn these atrocities."
New details about Vang began to emerge Tuesday.
Military records obtained by The Associated Press show he spent six years in the California National Guard and earned a sharpshooter qualification badge. But his primary role during his time in the Guard, from 1989-95, involved clerical duties.
After his discharge, he spent two more years in the Individual Ready Reserve. His records also include a Good Conduct medal.
Circuit Judge Norman Yackel ordered Vang jailed Tuesday on $2.5 million bail. He ruled that evidence submitted to him was sufficient to hold Vang on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, pending the filing of formal charges.
One thing we can't let the media get away with: the sign says "No Hunting without written permission.
That's it. We have a confession. We can only execute him once.
Case closed.
Vang needs to go into the chipper shreader.
Then why did you capitalize them?
Technically, wouldn't he be a mass murderer?
Hmung tribesmen were helpful to us in Vietnam. After we left Nam, many Hmung were brought here so they wouldn't get killed by the VC. Early Hmung immigrants in SanDiego, where I lived at the time, drove social workers crazy because they didn't understand kitchens, and would barbecue over fires they built on living-room floors of homes rented for them. Landlords and insurance companies were furious.
One would think that by now they might have progressed to the point where they recognize the rights of private-property owners.
I'll keep praying for you. Because, anyone with as much seemingly-common sense surely can't look at the vastness and order in the macro- and micro-universe and think it all came about by dumb luck.
growing up in the Minnesota north woods and hunting with my dad and brothers... i just find your remarks about as ..sick.. as it gets....especially the "ROFLMAO"
and you defended Sites if i recall.. go freakin figure
Vang is a Serial Killer.
Technically, wouldn't he be a mass murderer?
If he only killed the six this week he would be a spree killer or mass murderer. If he killed this other hunter a few years back he would be a serial killer.
Fine. Just don't try to hang everyone who looks like him.
Notice how AP was able to obtain his military records so quickly. Wonder how long it will be before they get John Kerry's records?
yeah.. "LOL, LOL, LOL" real funny.
maybe they left their guns in the hunting shack when they hurried to help one of their hunting party? who would suspect a freaking nut shooting at them on purpose?
the "humor" of this is lost on me. my best friend was shot by poachers accidently while he was out coon hunting when we were 17 years old.. maybe that's why i'm pretty sickened over people laughing over this..
but maybe it's just because laughing at it is sick - period
bump
Don't care what race this guy was. This group picked the wrong guy to piss off (you don't kick at a rattle snake and expect to get away with it). We have big acreage in Texas. We find an armed guy hunting without permission on our property he gets the kid glove treatment approach. Could be a nut case or maybe not. We don't want to find out. Invite him down for conversation, feed him lunch, get some distance between him and the deer rifle. Invite him to leave politely. Offer him a ride off the property. Hopefully he takes the hint and everyone gets home alive and well and lives to tell about it.
If he were lost, one would think he would have requested help, not shooting at people who could lead him to safety.
That statement sounds like the statement of a defense Attorney.
Really it's irrelevant to the crime he committed. And even if the sign was defective, or wasn't there, he would have to leave the land immediately upon being informed by the propertyowner he was tresspassing on private land. The onus is on the hunter to be on land open to the public, which does include privately owned land in Wisconsin.
As I noted in 57, the onus is on the hunter to stay off private property. The sign ceased to be an issue once he was asked to leave.
Huh? I haven't heard anything about another possible murder prior to this. Do you have any info on it?
If he were lost, he wouldn't have climbed in the stand. As an aside, the stand's a dead giveaway he knew he was on private property. Stands on publicly accessable land have to be removed each day. Unlikely, but I suppose it's possible he thought he was "borrowing" a stand while the owner left for a few hours, a poor idea unless you're looking for a confrontation. He'd apparently been hunting in Wisconsin several years, it's fair to assume he knew both the regulations and the culture.
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