RICE LAKE — Chai Vang, who was convicted of killing six hunters near Rice Lake in November 2004, has died. Records indicate he died June 10, at the age of 57.
He had been incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution, then transferred to an out-of-state correctional facility for the past several years, returning to Dodge County in 2024. He moved to Oshkosh Correctional Institution in April 2025, and that prison placed him in a supervised living facility in the final weeks of his life.
Chai Soua Vang, a St. Paul resident, snuck onto private property in woods in Sawyer County on Nov. 21, 2004, and was using a deer stand on the first day of hunting season. When confronted by the owner and other hunters, he appeared to walk away but instead went on a rampage, shooting eight, six of whom died.
Killed were Bob Crotteau, Joey Crotteau, Denny Drew, Al Laski, Mark Roidt and Jessica Willers.
Vang, fluent in English, claimed he was belittled and hunters used racial slurs after being confronted by the members of the hunting party for using a deer stand and being on the property. Vang was a California National Guard member for six years and earned a sharpshooter level during U.S. Army basic training in 1989. He said a shot was first fired at him, although evidence and testimony refute that claim.
Witnesses said Vang started walking away, but turned and started firing, eventually emptying a 20-round clip from a Saiga rifle. He killed several people as they arrived on ATVs, with four of those killed shot in the back.
Vang, according to testimony, reversed his blaze-orange jacket to camouflage. He left the area after Lauren Hesebeck, who was shot in the shoulder, fired once at Vang.
The jury heard from witnesses who survived the incident who testified that Vang shot first, and he was in no danger when he began shooting at them.
Vang was convicted in Sawyer County Court in September 2005 of nine felonies: six counts of first-degree homicide and three counts of attempted first-degree homicide. He was 36 at the time of the shooting, and 57 at the time of his death.
Judge Norman Yackel sentenced Vang to the maximum punishment he faced: life in prison with no chance of parole. The judge ordered Vang to serve six life prison terms, one after the other, guaranteeing he would never be freed from prison.
According to the Department of Corrections, Vang was incarcerated at the Oshkosh Correctional Facility for the past 14 months. He had spent the bulk of the past 20 years at an out-of-state prison.
Hunter’s Park, on the northwest area of Rice Lake, is dedicated to the deceased hunters. It includes a walkway that contains comments and names of donors to the project. A memorial sign says the park represents what the hunters cared about most: family, friends and the outdoors.
