On a crisp autumn day in the woods of Sawyer County, Wisconsin, the life of Alan Laski, a 43-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically cut short. On November 21, 2004, what began as a cherished deer hunting ritual with friends and family descended into a horrific act of violence that would become one of the state's most infamous crimes.
Laski, an avid outdoorsman and manager of a United Building Center in Rice Lake, was part of a hunting party in the Blue Hills area near Meteor. The group encountered another hunter, Chai Soua Vang, who was trespassing on their private hunting land. A verbal confrontation ensued, which escalated with shocking speed and violence. Vang, who was found to have a history of a quick and violent temper, opened fire on the group.
In the chaos that followed, Laski and five other members of the hunting party were shot and killed. Two others were wounded. The victims of the deadly rampage, in addition to Alan Laski, were Robert Crotteau, Joey Crotteau, Mark Roidt, Jessica Willers, and Denny Drew. The incident sparked widespread shock and grief, not only for the loss of life but also for the way a common dispute over land turned into a mass shooting.
The shooter, Chai Soua Vang, fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after. He confessed to the killings, and although his specific account of the events changed multiple times, his guilt was not in question. The case was described not as a "whodunit," but a "whydunnit," as the community and law enforcement struggled to understand the motive behind such an extreme and violent response to a trespassing incident. Vang was subsequently tried, convicted of the murders, and sentenced for his crimes.
