‘These are people who are near and dear to us.’ Victims mourned after mass shooting
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One of the four men shot to death Sunday was a beloved Hmong celebrity — a famous singer with thousands of fans — and all four were well-loved members of a tight-knit community.
Six others wounded late Sunday when unidentified gunmen sneaked into the backyard of a southeast Fresno home and opened fire a the dozens of people watching football at a family party. No arrests have been reported and police said they have little information on the shooters.
Community leaders on Monday made a point to say the victims of Sunday’s brutal violence had nothing common with the still unidentified attackers.
“These are people who are near and dear to us. I don’t see any gang affiliation to these folks,” said The Fresno Center CEO Pao Yang. “I am very disturbed. Community elders are calling The Fresno Center for assistance. …We thank everyone for their support.”
Outside the scene of Sunday’s tragedy, Paula Yang spoke on behalf of the family, expressing relief that all the young children were inside the home at the time and stressing the point that the slain victims were “all good young men” with no gang ties.
During a Fresno Police Department news conference on Monday, Pao Yang confirmed two of the victims were well-known singers, and one of them died at the hospital. Yang said the two performers sang every year at Hmong New Year celebrations and at least one of the singers often went to The Fresno Center to perform for mental health clients.
The Fresno County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 23-year-old noted Hmong singer Xy Lee; 31-year-old Phia Vang; 40-year-old Kalaxang Thao and 38-year-old Kou Xiong. All three men were from Fresno, and Xiong lived at the home where the shooting happened, officials with the coroner’s office said.
Six others were wounded in the attack.
Dr. Amy Kwok, a UCSF Fresno trauma surgeon working at Community Regional Medical Center, said the hospital admitted six of the 10 victims on Sunday night. Two were treated and released, one is deceased and three remained in serious condition Monday.
Hmong Talk, a Hmong news website, mourned the loss on Monday.
“We have received confirmation from his family member that Xy Lee, the famous Hmong singer was indeed one of the victim(s) that was shot and killed at the family gathering,” to Hmong Talk reported. “This is truly a heartbreaking time for everyone involved. Thank you for all the beautiful music that you have created . You will truly be miss! RIP!” the group said in a social media post.
Lee’s YouTube videos garnered millions of views, and his channel has over 90,000 subscribers.
Many of his videos show him performing in a home studio where he sang and played a keyboard, including one from just one month ago.
After news of his death, fans took to his channel to express their condolences, saying his spirit will live on through his music.
“Your music will live forever in my heart,” said commenter Paula Yang Moua.
Hmong Talk also identified as a second victim as JN Vang.
“The singer JN Vang was also confirmed to be one of the victim that was shot at the gathering! Fortunately, he is currently undergoing surgery right now! Hoping and praying for a fast recovery!”
The Bee’s Yesenia Amaro contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 10:07 AM with the headline "‘These are people who are near and dear to us.’ Victims mourned after mass shooting."