RE: Hunter shoots 5 dead
I don't know where some people get there information, but being apart of ems(firefighter - emt) it really irritates me when people kind of spice up the story with a few of there own words. I dispatch for an air medical organization and did send 2 helicopters to the scene of this event. Out of respect for the families lets not post here say, and wait for the facts before we all think we know what we are talking about . This post was not meant to make anybody mad, just think before we post. This story is out of a local newspaper. HAYWARD, Wis. - The man suspected in the killings of six hunters on Sunday told investigators the victims shot at him first, court records say.
According to a probable cause statement filed midday Tuesday, Chai Vang, 36, told investigators he was shot at first after some of the victims called him racially derogatory names.
Although he was not officially charged, Vang is being held on probable cause of six counts of first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. A cash bond of $2.5 million was also set.
The shootings happened Sunday on 400 acres of private land in the southwestern corner of Sawyer County, Wis. Killed were property owner Robert Crotteau, 42; his son Joey, 20; Al Laski, 43; Mark Roidt, 28; and Jessica Willers, 27. The victims were in a group of 14 or 15 people who made their opening-weekend trip to Crotteau's property an annual tradition.
Denny Drew, 55, of Rice Lake, died Monday at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, his family announced. Two other men were recovering from gunshot wounds.
Sawyer County Sheriff Jim Meier said a dispute over Vang's use of a hunting stand on the land preceded the gunfire.
Vang told investigators he didn't realize he was on private property when he climbed up into the tree stand, according to a statement filed in court.
The statement said that Vang told investigators that a group of people, including one man with a rifle, confronted him about leaving a tree stand on the private land. He claimed that the people were using racial slurs and swearing at him as he started to leave.
As he was walking away, Vang told investigators that he saw the man with the rifle take the weapon off his shoulder and eventually point the gun at him. He said he dropped to a crouched position, and the man fired at him, hitting the ground about 40 feet behind him.
That's when Vang told authorities he took the scope off his gun and started firing. He stated that he shot twice at the man holding the gun, dropping him to the ground. He said he continued to shoot at others as they ran to their ATVs. He also said he shot one man, believed to be Joey Crotteau, as he ran toward the cabin yelling, "help me, help me."
Vang then stated that he heard a person use a two-way radio to call for help. When he saw an ATV approaching, he said he reversed his jacket from orange to camouflage and reloaded.
Vang told investigators that he did not shoot at the ATV because the people on it were armed. But when that ATV left in less than a minute, he said a second one with two people on it arrived. Vang stated that the driver was holding a gun in one hand. He said he fired three or four shots and saw both people drop to the ground.
The victims on the ATV were believed to be Laski and Jessica Willers.
Vang was arrested about four hours later as he emerged from the woods with another hunting party.
Vang did not appear in court. His first scheduled court appearance is December 20.
Sawyer County, Wis. officials said the state attorney general's office would prosecute the case, a move that is not unusual when severe crimes committed in rural counties.
Sheriff James Meier said Vang has been cooperative with investigators -- and extremely calm. In fact, Meier says, he finds Vang's calm "frightening." He says neither his demeanor nor the shootings make sense.
Vang's relatives, who visitied the suspect briefly in jail, said they can't explain what happened.
His brother, Sang Vang, says he's a reasonable person, so perhaps he was provoked.
"I still don't believe it," the suspect's brother, Sang Vang, said. "He is one of the nicest persons. ... Maybe something provoked him or something."
Sang Van said Chai is a father of six who served in the U.S. Army.
Deu Khang, 37, who identifies herself as Vang's "cultural" wife, says she's in shock.
"We don't really know what went wrong," she said. "I don't have anything to say. I don't know what to say."
A Minnesota lawmaker who's also an immigrant from Laos says reports that cultural differences played a role in the shooting are probably wrong. In her words, "He's probably crazy."
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