In a tragic series of events on June 29, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada, 9-year-old Anhurak Jason Dej-Oudom, an Asian male, was killed. His life was cut short in a devastating murder-suicide orchestrated by his own father. The night unfolded in a terrifying sequence, beginning with his mother, Phoukeo Dej-Oudom, desperately fleeing their home. A Good Samaritan saw her screaming for help in the street and gave her a ride, but they were pursued by her husband, Jason Hagan Dej-Odoum.
The chase
ended at a drugstore parking lot where Jason Dej-Oudom confronted them, armed with a gun. He forced his wife into his vehicle and sped away. Phoukeo managed to escape the car and ran for her life, but he chased her down and fatally shot her outside another nearby drugstore. This public act of violence was only the beginning of the night's horrors. About half an hour later, a relative of Jason's contacted police, expressing concern that he was suicidal.
When police arrived at the family's apartment, they made a grim discovery. Inside, they found the bodies of Anhurak and his two older siblings, 15-year-old Dalavanh Ariel and 14-year-old Xonajuk J.J., in a bedroom. The Clark County coroner later confirmed that Anhurak died from a gunshot wound to the head. Their father, the sole suspect in their deaths, was also found deceased in the apartment from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation that followed revealed a history of domestic turmoil. Phoukeo Dej-Oudom had filed for divorce just a month prior to the incident and had also sought a protective order against her husband, citing his harassment and threats. In her application for the restraining order, she expressed fear for her life and the lives of her children, stating that her husband had previously brandished guns at them. Tragically, her request for the order was denied just weeks before the fatal encounter. There were also records of prior domestic violence reports involving the family. As the perpetrator took his own life, no arrests were made in connection with the deaths.
