HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 03-25 Father shoots, kills son in Maplewood home after dispute STAR TRIBUNE4/6/2016 March 25: Father shoots, kills son in Maplewood home after dispute - StarTribune.com
EAST METRO
Father shoots, kills son in Maplewood
home after dispute
84 -year-old Maplewood man allegedly shot his 36 -year-old son and
then stabbed himself.
By Nicole Norfleet (http://www.startribune.com/nicole-norfleet/101685423/) Star Tribune
MARCH 27, 2014 — 4:48PM
An 84 -year-old man, who a relative said has threatened to hurt family before, shot and
killed his 36 -year-old son on Monday at their Maplewood home.
After a two-hour standoff with police, Pang Vang was taken around 2 p.m. from the
residence in the 1800 block of County Road B East and transported to Regions Hospital
in critical condition with self-inflicted stab wounds to the neck and chest.
His son Chue Vang was declared dead at the scene, shot with a long gun, said
Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell.
"Some sort of disagreement or ongoing dispute was occurring between father and adult
son ... at some point in time during the course of this incident, things escalated," Schnell
said.
Chue Vang's mother, his brother and a young child of one of his brothers were at the
home at the time of the shooting, Schnell said. One of the family members called police
a little before noon Monday to report that someone had been shot and the suspect was
still in the home.
A Hmong-speaking officer was the primary police contact during the standoff with the
suspect, who did not comply with police orders to come out of the home. The standoff
took so long because there was information that there were other weapons inside the
home, Schnell said.
The rest of the family members were able to leave the house unharmed before the
Ramsey County SWAT team eventually entered to retrieve Chue Vang. Pang Vang was
found injured, barricaded in a bedroom.
The Ramsey County medical examiners office is analyzing Chue Vang's body to
determine a cause of death.
The shooting, which happened a stone's throw from City Hall, was Maplewood's first
homicide this year.
Mee Vang, 63, a niece of Pang Vang, said her uncle would frequently make threats to kill
his family and said they were "bad," but his wife didn't think he would actually harm
someone.
"I think the dad had a lot of problems with his children," Mee Vang said.
Schnell said he was unaware of any previous reports of incidents at the home. Chue
Vang owned the home that he shared with his parents and other family. Police learned
during the investigation that Pang Vang had made threats before and that there was
conflict between the father and son, but authorities are still trying to determine what
prompted the shooting Monday, Schnell said.
"It is highly unusual," Schnell said about the case.
According to family, Pang Vang didn't have a documented history of mental illness,
Schnell said. He did have a military background. The family immigrated from Laos.
Pang Vang's son was described by a visiting cousin as "one of the good guys." Zang Vang,
40, said Chue Vang, was single, attended college in St. Cloud and went to church.
"I cannot believe this," Zang Chang, said about the shooting.
The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is assisting police with the investigation.
nicole.norfleet@startribune.com 612-673-4495
HJJaVideo (01:13) : A Maplewood man shoots
and kills his adult son and then is involved in
standoff with police.
ELIZABETH FLORES, DML -
Gallery: Maplewood standoff
hfp://www.startribune.com/march-25-father-shoots-kills-son-in-maplewood-home-after-dispute/251996061/ 1 /1