Tree Stand Murders

This true story splashed all over the news on November 21, 2004. A deer hunter shot eight and killed six other deer hunters including a young woman. In the Blue Hills east of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Chai Soua Vang―caught trespassing on private property and occupying another hunter’s tree stand―became infuriated and exploded into a rampage after being tongue-lashed by the property owner. Anguished over marital and financial woes, exhausted by working two full-time jobs, and possessed of a quick temper, Vang carried a heavy load of anger―he was walking dynamite. Because the shooter was Hmong and the victims were white, the media reported this as racial. In actuality, race played a minor role. Cultural differences, private property rights, and a personality clash created a gripping drama. Containing information not previously known to the public, the book illuminates, in easy-to-read story format, the backgrounds of those involved, the anger-filled and heart-wrenching incident, the exemplary trial―and answers the critical question of who shot first.