Survivor denies six hunters shot dead fired first shot

THE man suspected of shooting six hunters to death agrees with a survivor that the tragedy began with a confrontation on private land. But they sharply differ on what happened next.

Survivor Lauren Hesebeck told investigators Chai Vang, 36, of St. Paul, Minnesota, started shooting his rifle from 40 yards away after a verbal exchange.

But Vang, who earned a sharp-shooter qualification badge with the California National Guard, told police he began firing only after one of Hesebeck’s hunting party, Terry Willers, shot at him with a rifle from about 100 feet away and missed.

Vang, a Hmong immigrant from Laos, claimed the hunters taunted him with racial slurs and said he would be reported for trespassing on the land, which was co-owned by two of the victims.

Vang said he continued firing as the group scattered, and at one point chased one of the hunters and shot him in the back, only to find the man had no gun.

Authorities have said there was only one gun among the victims, five men and a woman, aged between 20 and 55. It’s believed Vang fired at least 20 shots on the group of 15. He has been remanded on bail of $2.5 million pending trial.