Nengmy Vang and the 2017 Marathon County Shootings
Overview
Nengmy Vang was responsible for a deadly shooting spree that unfolded across three communities in Marathon County, Wisconsin, on March 22, 2017. During a series of attacks connected to a bitter divorce dispute, Vang killed four people at a bank, a law office and an apartment complex. The victims included two bank employees, his estranged wife's divorce attorney and a veteran police detective.
The violence began after Vang confronted his estranged wife, Naly Vang, at the Marathon Savings Bank branch where she worked. After she escaped and contacted authorities, Vang opened fire inside the bank. He then traveled to the office of the attorney representing his wife in their divorce and committed another murder. The final stage of the rampage occurred at Vang's apartment in Weston, where he fatally shot a responding police officer and engaged law enforcement in an extended armed standoff.
Background and Divorce Dispute
Nengmy and Naly Vang had been married for approximately 25 years and had seven children. Their relationship had deteriorated over time, and Nengmy moved out of the family home in 2015. Divorce proceedings followed, but the couple disagreed about how the separation should be resolved. Nengmy reportedly wanted the matter handled through the traditional Hmong clan system, while Naly chose to proceed through the Wisconsin court system so that issues such as child custody, property division and financial support would be legally enforceable.
The divorce became increasingly contentious. Nengmy was reportedly angry about the possibility of paying maintenance or other financial support. Naly later said he had warned that something bad could happen if she continued seeking money through the divorce proceedings. Police had previously been called several times while Nengmy attempted to retrieve possessions from the family residence, although those encounters did not lead to arrests.
On March 22, 2017, the conflict escalated dramatically. Vang telephoned Naly and demanded that she sign divorce documents within 24 hours. He then appeared at her workplace, Marathon Savings Bank in Rothschild, carrying papers he wanted her to sign. During the confrontation, he threatened her life and left the building. Naly believed he was going to retrieve a firearm from his vehicle, so she escaped from the bank and sought safety at a nearby Subway restaurant. From there, she contacted police and reported the threat.
Murders at Marathon Savings Bank
After Naly escaped, Vang returned to Marathon Savings Bank carrying a black bag. He armed himself and opened fire on employees inside the building. Branch manager Dianne Look and bank teller Karen Barclay were struck by gunfire. Both women suffered fatal injuries.
The two bank employees were not known to have been personally involved in the Vangs' divorce. They appear to have been attacked because they were present at the workplace Vang associated with his estranged wife. Naly avoided being shot only because she recognized the danger and left before Vang returned with his weapon.
The shooting generated a major emergency response across the Rothschild, Schofield and Weston area. Officers began searching for Vang while medical personnel responded to the bank. Vang, however, had already left and was traveling toward a second location connected to the divorce proceedings.
Murder of Attorney Sara Quirt Sann
Vang next drove to the Schofield law offices of Tlusty, Kennedy and Dirks. Attorney Sara Quirt Sann worked at the firm and represented Naly Vang in the divorce case. Her professional role made her a direct target of Vang's anger over the legal proceedings.
After entering the office, Vang held people at gunpoint and demanded to be taken to Quirt Sann. He was directed to her office, where he confronted her and fatally shot her. Other people inside the building survived the encounter.
The attack demonstrated that Vang was deliberately moving between places and people he connected to the divorce. After killing the two bank employees, he specifically sought out the attorney representing his estranged wife. He then fled again before police could apprehend him.
Return to the Weston Apartment
Investigators traced Vang to his apartment in Weston. Law-enforcement officers established a perimeter around the building and began evacuating or sheltering nearby residents. Officers knew they were dealing with an armed suspect believed to have already killed three people at two different locations.
Detective Jason Weiland of the Everest Metropolitan Police Department was among the officers responding to the apartment complex. While officers were positioning themselves outside, Vang fired from the apartment. A bullet struck Weiland, fatally wounding him. Weiland's death brought the number of murder victims to four.
The killing of Weiland led to an approximately three-hour standoff. Police negotiators and dispatchers attempted to persuade Vang to surrender, but he refused to leave the apartment peacefully. Officers exchanged gunfire with him during the confrontation, and Vang was wounded.
Telephone Calls During the Standoff
During the standoff, Vang made telephone calls to emergency dispatchers. He acknowledged the killings, expressed some remorse and demanded an opportunity to explain his version of events publicly. He reportedly asked for television reporters to be brought to the scene so that he could tell his story.
Authorities continued trying to end the confrontation without further deaths. Police eventually cut electrical power to the apartment and used an armored law-enforcement vehicle to tear open part of an exterior wall. Vang remained armed and fired another shot. A tactical officer then fired at him, causing additional injuries and bringing the active standoff to an end.
Vang's Death
Vang was removed from the apartment alive and transported to a hospital in Wausau. His gunshot injuries were initially believed to be survivable, and he remained hospitalized under treatment for more than a week. He died at approximately 1:28 a.m. on April 1, 2017. He was 45 years old.
Because Vang died from his injuries, he was never prosecuted for the four murders. Investigators instead reconstructed the sequence of events using witness statements, physical evidence, telephone recordings and information gathered at the three crime scenes.
Victims
- Dianne Look, 67 — Killed on March 22, 2017, at Marathon Savings Bank in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Look was the branch manager and was shot after Vang returned to the bank with a firearm.
- Karen Barclay, 62 — Killed on March 22, 2017, at Marathon Savings Bank in Rothschild, Wisconsin. Barclay was a bank teller who was working when Vang opened fire inside the branch.
- Sara Quirt Sann, 43 — Killed on March 22, 2017, at the Tlusty, Kennedy and Dirks law office in Schofield, Wisconsin. She was the attorney representing Naly Vang in the divorce proceedings and was deliberately sought out by Vang.
- Detective Jason Weiland, 40 — Killed on March 22, 2017, outside Vang's apartment in Weston, Wisconsin. Weiland was an Everest Metropolitan Police Department detective and an 18-year law-enforcement veteran who was shot while responding to the manhunt and standoff.
Impact on the Community
The shootings affected several neighboring Marathon County communities within a matter of hours. Businesses, schools and government facilities were placed under heightened security as police searched for Vang. Residents near the Weston apartment complex were ordered to remain inside or were evacuated while heavily armed officers surrounded the building.
The deaths were especially devastating because the victims represented several parts of the community. Look and Barclay were longtime bank employees, Quirt Sann was a respected family-law attorney, and Weiland was an experienced police detective. Vigils and memorial services were held as residents mourned the four victims.
Sara's Law
The murder of Sara Quirt Sann drew attention to threats faced by attorneys handling contentious family-law cases. Wisconsin lawmakers later introduced legislation commonly known as Sara's Law in her memory.
The legislation expanded legal protections for family-law attorneys, guardians ad litem, corporation counsel and certain other legal professionals. It made threatening or harming those professionals because of their work in a family-law matter a felony under specified circumstances. The measure passed the Wisconsin Legislature and was signed into law in February 2018.
Conclusion
The March 22, 2017, Marathon County shootings were the culmination of Nengmy Vang's escalating anger over the end of his marriage and the legal process surrounding the divorce. His estranged wife was the apparent central target, but her escape from the bank prevented him from reaching her. He instead murdered two of her coworkers, deliberately targeted her attorney and killed a police detective who responded to apprehend him.
By the end of the rampage, Dianne Look, Karen Barclay, Sara Quirt Sann and Jason Weiland had been killed across three separate crime scenes. Vang's death on April 1, 2017, prevented a criminal trial, but the investigation established a clear sequence of targeted and retaliatory violence arising from the domestic dispute. The victims continued to be remembered through community memorials, tributes to Detective Weiland and the enactment of Sara's Law.
