Trang Dai massacre Tacoma WA

Trang Dai massacre Tacoma WA ---

Why were bystanders the ones that were killed while the alleged target was only injured? Was the motive really a random mass shooting? Was this really a terrorist attack on innocents staged as a gang dispute?

5 killed 5 wounded Trang Dai massacre Tacoma WA The Trang Dai massacre in Tacoma, Washington occurred on July 5, 1998 when three  gunmen, one with AK-47 assault rifle; the other two had handguns entered the Trang Dai Cafe and opened fire, killing five diners and wounding five others. Detectives blamed the violence on warring Asian gangs, but  the suspects claimed to be targeting a patron, who was injured, because of a personal gripe, while all of those killed were merely "bystanders". The crime remains one of Tacoma's worst mass slayings.

*Tags

• Asian Suspects

*Reference

Trang Dai massacre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Trang Dai massacre in Tacoma, Washington occurred on July 5, 1998 when four gunmen entered the Trang Dai Cafe and opened fire, killing five diners and wounding five others. Detectives blamed the violence on warring Asian gangs.^[1]

Incident[edit]

Just after 1:30 a.m. July 5, 1998, three masked gunmen burst into the Trang Dai Cafe and opened fire in the karaoke bar, killing four men and wounded five others. Two other gunmen kept watch out back and killed a waitress as she tried to leave. In all, 41 shots were fired.^[2] The five killed were: Nhan Ai Nguyen, 26; Duy Le, 25; his brother, 27-year-old Hai Le; Tuong Hung Do, 33; and waitress Tuyen Vo, 21. Five were injured and eventually recovered from those injuries. Prosecutors claimed the suspects were targeting a patron, who was injured, because of a personal gripe. The crime remains one of Tacoma's worst mass slayings.^[3]

Investigation[edit]

On July 18, 1998, Tacoma police officers conducted a large police operation in which they searched nine homes while looking for eight suspects in the case. Four were arrested during the operation. A fifth was arrested the next day on July 19.

An AK-47 found at one of the suspects’ homes was traced back to Bull's Eye Shooter Supply. The same gun shop that was the source of the weapon used in theBeltway sniper attacks.

The suspected ringleader, 22-year-old Ri Le, killed his younger half-brother, 17-year-old Khanh Trinh, (one of the gunman stationed at the back of the cafe) then himself in a murder-suicide pact as police officers closed in. The eighth suspect, 18-year-old Samath Mom, committed suicide in jail just a few hours after his arrest. The other five - Jimmie Chea, Marvin Leo, Veasna Sok, Sarun Truck Ngeth and John Phet - were convicted and sentenced.

References[edit]

Jump up^ "Errant gun dealer, wary agents paved way for Beltway sniper tragedy - The Seattle Times". Seattletimes.com. 2003-04-29. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
Jump up^ "Family Grieves For Brothers Killed In Tacoma Shooting -- `A Wedding Becomes A Funeral' -- Theories Fly On Reason For Deadly Attack". Seattletimes.com. 1998-07-07.
Jump up^ "The Trang Dai Massarce 10 years later - The News Tribune". Thenewstribune.com. 2008-06-05.

Coordinates: 47°13′22.3″N 122°26′34.7″W

Categories:

• 1998 murders in the United States
• Mass murder in 1998
• Murder in Washington (state)
• History of Seattle, Washington
• History of Tacoma, Washington
• Mass murder in the United States
• 1998 mass shootings in the United States
• Crimes in Washington (state)
• Deaths by firearm in Washington (state)

*Sources 

Trang Dai Cafe Massacre Five Killed Tacoma WA - YouTube
▶ 2:25
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT1tN_y5yfE
Mar 10, 2012 - Uploaded by Matthew WashamJuly 5, 1998. What would be one of Tacoma's largest massmurder scenes happened at around 1AM on that ...


Family Grieves For Brothers Killed In Tacoma Shooting
community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date...
The Seattle TimesJul 7, 1998 - Family members said Duy and Hai Le were innocent bystanders. ... 

TheTrang Dai restaurant had just recently started offering karaoke.They were brothers, Duy and Hai Le. Duy was to get married next month; Hai, next year. Their father had been hand-delivering the invitations to Duy's Aug. 15 wedding up until the day both brothers were killed... Some appeared as stymied as the Tacoma police seem to be in their search for clues. Investigators still have no suspects in the Sunday morning shooting spree at the Trang Dai restaurant that killed five and injured five. It isn't known what connections, if any, the victims had other than being patrons of the restaurant. The Pierce County medical examiner has identified the fifth victim as Nhan Nguyen, 26, of Tacoma.

Witnesses told police three gunmen entered the restaurant and opened fire. At least 41 shots were fired. Of the five people injured, Khanh Huynh, 28, remains in serious condition at Madigan Army Medical Center. Hoai Nguyen, 28, is satisfactory at Tacoma General and three others were treated and released. "It (the attack) was well-planned and well-executed," said homicide Detective Doug Margeson. "They (the attackers) got in, did what they wanted to do, and got out."

Because of the nature of the crime, and because of recent developments at the restaurant, police suspect the attack was gang-related.

three men entered the establishment through one of two front doors about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. One of the men had an assault rifle; the other two had handguns. The assailants opened fire; they said nothing and took nothing - except five lives.

RESTAURANT SLAYINGS: Two fugitives found dead in car ...
web.kitsapsun.com/.../0056_restaurant_slayings__two_fugitiv...
Kitsap SunJul 22, 1998 - RESTAURANT SLAYINGS: Two fugitives found dead in car on waterfront ... that none of our people were hurt or any of the bystanders who were there." ... The shootings occurred about 1:30 a.m. July 5 at the Trang Dai cafe.RESTAURANT SLAYINGS: Two fugitives found dead in car on waterfront

Sun | Local The Associated Press — Jul 22nd, 1998 * Ri Ngoc Le and Khanh Van Trinh, suspects in the July 5 shootings, die in an apparent murder-suicide. TACOMA - Two shots rang out Tuesday morning as police officers, seeking three fugitives in the deadly Trang Dai restaurant attack, closed in on a car parked by the waterfront. By the time authorities reached the vehicle, the two young men in the back seat - both sought in the July 5 killings - were dead. "As we approached, it appeared one reached over, shot the other and then shot himself," police spokesman Jim Mattheis said. Ri Ngoc Le, 22, shot his brother, Khanh Van Trinh, 17, and then turned the gun on himself. Still at large is Samath Mom, 18.

Teens arrested in Tacoma shootings - UPI Archives - UPI.com
www.upi.com/Archives/1998/07/20/Teens-arrested.../8032900907200/
Jul 20, 1998 - ... apparently shot, but was not among those who were killed at theTrang Dai Cafe. '(The victims) were, in effect, bystanders,' said Ladenburg.

The rise and fall of the American shopping mall - Page 2 ...
Dec 7, 2014 - 10 posts2, 2008: Six people were shot and killed by Isaac Zamora, 29, and four others July 5, 1998: Five young men walked into the Trang Dai restaurant in Tacoma and fired nearly 60 bullets, killing five people and injuring five more in what were described as gang-related killings. Of the nine men charged in the case, two committed suicide, another was killed before trial, four pleaded guilty and two were convicted at trial.