Cobb: Literal Rednecks

November 24, 2004

Literal Rednecks

In somebody's neck of the woods, some rednecks talking out the side of their necks got their necks broken.

The truck driver and father of six had come up from his home in St. Paul, Minn., intending to hunt on public land. He got lost in the dense forest and, wandering near a swamp, climbed onto a tree stand � a wooden platform built on a branch. A hunter approached and told him he was on private property. Though he hadn't noticed a No Trespassing sign, Vang said, he climbed down and walked away.

Then, Vang said, five or six hunters in all-terrain vehicles drove up and demanded to know why he had trespassed. He told them he was lost. They surrounded him and began spitting out racial slurs. The men told him they would report him to authorities. They cursed him. One of the hunters was carrying a gun, he said. Vang, walking away, turned and saw the gun pointed at him. He dropped to the ground. A bullet whizzed by him.

Thus sayeth Vang, who turned out to be more than these airheads bargained for. I don't understand what it is with people who think they can just provoke anybody without repercussions. Rule number one is never point a gun at somebody unless you're aiming to shoot. And if you shoot, don't miss.

And so..

He shot the man who had pointed the gun at him. The man dropped. The other hunters ran toward their vehicles. Vang kept shooting. More men fell. He chased those still standing, shooting one in the back. He heard the man groan. He walked past the body.

As the hunters' friends � alerted by walkie-talkie � arrived in two more ATVs, Vang took off his blaze-orange coat and turned it inside out so the camouflage pattern showed. He reloaded. An ATV whipped past, a man steering with one hand and holding a gun with the other. Vang shot him and the young woman sitting behind him.

I think Vang knew he was a dead man walking as soon as he killed the first man. Anyone for gun control?

Posted by mbowen at November 24, 2004 11:26 AM

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Comments

Yeah, this is in my neck of the woods (actually, in Wisconsin, about 80 miles away). Vang refused to talk at first; demanded a lawyer. He changed his mind and probably said too much as he told his side of the confrontation.

Folks in this neck of the wood take their deer hunting seriously. It ain't worth dying for and when I used to hunt, I never went for deer. Too many crazies out there.

The subplot: the gun apparently used is not exactly your classic sporting rifle: While legal, comes close to the old lines that Bush allowed to expire without renewing. Yes, we need to control assault rifles!

Posted by: Ward Bell at November 24, 2004 02:43 PM

This story is so sad, and I'm not sure we'll ever know the truth of what happened. Both storylines ("Vang ganged by redneck hunters" and "Crazy sniper in tree stand on rampage") are plausible in a group of men smitten with buck fever. It will be morbidly interesting to see which one the MSM buys. I just hope that Fox News doesn't flog it to death like they did the Scott Peterson murder trial.

As for the previous poster calling an SKS an assault rifle: Oh, please, get over it.

Posted by: gruffbear at November 25, 2004 03:26 AM

Right. Let's take for gospel the word of the only known backshooting murderer in the story. Because at least he wasn't a redneck.

Posted by: SD at November 26, 2004 10:59 AM

It's a he-said they-said kinda deal, imho. Did the hunters get racial with Vang? Did he just wig out? We don't really know what happened yet.

Based on this situation, I don't think we need 'gun control' - people go nutter all the time.

Posted by: brian at November 26, 2004 11:16 AM

Gotta be very, very stupid to dis racially someone with a semi-automatic in his hand. Put's a big question mark on Vang's version of events, IMO.
It'll be interesting what's concluded in this case after it's pieced together.

Posted by: W Elms at November 26, 2004 01:36 PM

First the good ol' boys and girl had one gun between six of them. Second Vang peeled off twenty rounds to do the job so I guess he isn't much of a shot either. All guns for hunting should be similar as those in Canada where they must be limited to 5 shots magazines. If you can't drop a deer with that many rounds you shouldn't be in the woods to begin with.

Posted by: steve at November 30, 2004 06:36 AM