On June 29, 2016, a tragic and devastating incident unfolded in Las Vegas, Nevada, resulting in the deaths of Phoukeo Dej-Oudom, 35, and her three children, as well as her husband, Jason Hagan Dej-Oudom. The events began when Phoukeo Dej-Oudom, who had been living in fear of her husband, was chased and fatally shot by him outside a Walgreens store in the northwest valley of Las Vegas.
Phoukeo Dej-Oudom's ordeal started earlier that evening when she was spotted by a passing motorist
waving her hands and screaming for help near her home. The motorist picked her up and drove her to a nearby CVS drug store, but Jason Dej-Oudom chased them, dragged his wife into his car at gunpoint, and then drove off. Phoukeo managed to escape from the car and started running towards a Walgreens about a half mile away. Witnesses reported seeing Jason Dej-Oudom chasing her in his car, and she was eventually shot and killed outside the Walgreens after hearing four gunshots.
Jason Hagan Dej-Oudom, 32 had a long history of domestic violence against his wife and children. The couple had been married since July 2000 in Columbus, Ohio, and had three children: Dalavanh Ariel Dej-Oudom, 15; Xonajuk J.J. Dej-Oudom, 14; and Anhurak Jason Dej-Oudom, 9. Phoukeo had filed for divorce on May 25, 2016, citing domestic violence and seeking exclusive custody of the children. She had also applied for a temporary protection order against her husband just a few weeks before the incident, detailing how Jason had threatened the family with guns multiple times throughout their marriage. However, the protection order was denied because the incidents she listed were mostly from several years ago in Ohio and did not meet the statutory requirements for a recent threat in Las Vegas.
Following the murder of his wife, Jason Dej-Oudom returned to their apartment, where he killed their three children before taking his own life. The bodies of the children and Jason were found by a SWAT team that responded to a call from a family relative who reported that Jason was at the apartment and suicidal. The children were found dead in a bedroom, with the youngest child dying from a gunshot wound to the head.
The history of domestic violence involving Jason Dej-Oudom was extensive. In 2005, police in Fairfield, Ohio, responded to an emergency call from Phoukeo, who reported that Jason had been choking, beating, and kicking their then 5-year-old daughter, Dalavanh. Despite these incidents, Jason was not arrested at the time, and the case was referred to the prosecutor's office without any immediate action.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, there were multiple calls to the police regarding domestic disturbances at the family's Torrey Pines condominium in Las Vegas. However, these incidents did not result in any arrests or significant interventions that could have prevented the eventual murder-suicide.
The case highlights the failures in the system to protect victims of domestic violence. Phoukeo's repeated attempts to seek help, including her application for a protection order and her calls to the police, were ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the tragic outcome. The community and authorities have since reflected on the need for more effective measures to prevent such incidents and to better support victims of domestic violence.
