Two Hunters dead in Iowa.

[SDS-GEN]

A hunter accidentally shot his hunting buddy in Iowa yesterday.  After leading authorities to the sight he then shot himself.  This happened in Wright county north of Woolstock in a public hunting area.

[TribReady]

That's a tragic story on multiple levels.

[Selmer]

Wow, I wonder where it was, I worked in Wright County for 3 1/2 years on farm drainage and demolition.  I"ll have to call my old boss.

[clodbuster]

I mentioned this report to my local DNR Biologist who I trust and respect and he says he normally gets an official notice of gun hunting deaths and has seen nothing so far.  Said he had heard unofficial version of the story. 

[SDS-GEN]

The article was in the Moline Dispatch.  It isn't like the media to report something without chacking ALL the FACTS is it?

[quickdtoo]

Here's an official report and a news report with more details.

Tim

http://www.dps.state.ia.us/commis/pib/Releases/2008/09-19-2008_HuntingDeaths.htm

NAMES RELEASED IN WRIGHT COUNTY HUNTING DEATHS
 
Woolstock, IOWA --- The Wright County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are releasing the names of two hunters who died yesterday in Wright County. The victims are 44 year old Tan Khanmjoi and 48 year old Dee Phonvilai.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the deaths of the two hunters were the result of an accidental shooting and a suicide.

At approximately 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, September 18, 2008, law enforcement was notified that a hunter had accidentally shot his hunting partner in an area west of Woolstock in Wright County.

Upon arrival authorities were met by Dee Phonvilai who led them to the heavily wooded area where Phonuilai said he had accidentally shot Tan Khanmjoi.

While officers were attempting to locate the first victim, Khanmjoi, Phonvilai died of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot wound. Officers were close by when this second shooting took place. No shots were fired by officers.

At this time there is no indication of foul play.

The investigation is currently ongoing by the Wright County Sheriff's Office and the DCI. The Iowa State Patrol, Iowa DNR, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Clarion Police Department, and the Eagle Grove Police Department are also assisting in the investigation.
=============================================================================================


http://www.kimt.com/news/local/28703684.html


Wright County Hunters: Best Friends Till the End by Brian Scott
KIMT News 3 
 
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa - A quiet hunting trip turned deadly for 2 hunters on Thursday morning, but friends and family of the victims are convinced the shooting was accidental. They gathered in Webster City on Saturday to mourn the loss.

"I think that they kinda, had a bad accident. They know each other a long long time," said their friend Kham Phiwthong.

That's what friends are saying about the gun fire that rang through a field on Thursday morning. When Dee Phonvilai accidentally shot and killed long time friend Tan Khamjoi while they were squirrel hunting. After alerting first responders Phonvilai turned the gun on himself. A move friends are saying was probably out of grief after shooting a man he'd been through so much with.

"My friend too, we came from same country, same state, same city after 1975," said Phiwthong.

In the 70's, Phonvilai and Khamjoi left their home country of Laos to escape Communism. They made their way to Webster City to find a community they could adapt to and find jobs in. It was in that community that they became best friends.

"I'm very sad too, and I don't know why it had to happen," said Khamjoi's brother-in-law Moun Thontsouk. "I don't think about death to happen like that, they were friends together, they'd hunt every week sometimes." 

So now the families have gathered to mourn their loved ones in their traditional Laotian way. For the next 7 days they will join together in eating and prayer.

"They light up the candles and just say a thing like, ok, we want you to be, go to a goody place and find your place to stay in the heavens," said friend Daeng Thongsy.

To prepare for the 7 day mourning period, each family had to butcher an entire cow to be served in honor of their loved ones. They also tell us that about a year ago, Phonvilai told his daughter that when he died, he wanted his ashes to be brought back to Laos, so he may finally end up back home.
 

[yooper77]

Any shooting is truly a tragic sad event.

I realise all type of people are involved in accidental shootings and domestic violence.

What I don't understand is why are were always hearing about Hmong's being involved in a shooting deaths?

Domestic Violence In The Hmong Community
http://multiculturaladvocates.org/user_documents/Domestic_Violence_In_The_Hmong_Community.doc

yooper77

[blacknwhite]

It shows the HUGE cultural differences that exist. Many places around the world this may not be as suprising. Pride obviously has many different meanings.

Very sad.

[Cubby08]

I dont recall this happening, which is wierd because i live only 15 minutes away from Woolstock

[45-70.gov]

years  ago  one  of the men  i was  hunting  with   killed  another man in  the woods

turned  out they  new  each  other

they  were parked a couple  miles  away  but  walked  into  the block  we  were in

it  was  very  tramtic  for  all....they  were  all  related 
the  2  i was  with  were  guys i worked  with

buck  shot  one  clean through  the  head
he  was  convulsing  and vomiting  blood
tearing  at his face
we  had  to  hold his  hands  away  from his face  as  we  got him out of the woods
stpped at a fire station  where  his family saw him like  that
then  a helocopter  got  him

took  him nearly a week  to die

he  was  16..........ya'll  be  carefull

[kynardsj]

Back in the early 70's I went to my hunting club for some deer hunting. I didn't own a rifle at the time and took my double barrel loaded with buckshot. I went down a road by a creek and sat for a few hours while in the meantime a fog rolled in. I headed back out and about halfway back I saw a "doe deer" stand up under a cedar tree and I raised my gun and flipped the safety off. The "doe" took a couple of steps and then straightened up and became a man. It shook me up so bad I almost vomited. A man that wasn't even in the club, his son was, had come up uninvited and decided to go hunting. No hunter orange, just brownish colored clothes. After I got over having the crap scared out of me for almost killing him I gave him a tounge lashing to where he never came back. The fact that he could have killed me too never crossed my mind. Telling this story still sends chills up my spine.

[mirage1988]

Its truly a sad story, but,

The hmong walk through the woods in a skirmish line shooting everything that moves, you will never hunt that area again, trust me!  I have seen them with a pile of game, some legal, mostly songbirds, and a fire, cooking and eating them on the side of the road. I used to hunt the carlos avery wma and the mille lacs wma until they got invaded. If you think I am being racist, come on up on a huntin' trip!

[diggdug]

I have seen the exact same thing Mirage! The Hmong have ruined many hunts for me and a lot of other folks. They shoot everything! then cook it on an open fire, and move on. Pretty sad that I pay $550 for an Iowa tag and the DNR just let the Hmongs run around like Savages!