2 Men Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Teen At St. Paul Festival

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two men have been charged in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man at a festival in St. Paul Sunday.

On Tuesday, the Ramsey County Attorney's Office charged 27-year-old Nougai Xiong of St. Paul with two counts of second-degree murder and 28-year-old Yang Houa Xiong of La Crosse, Wisconsin with one count of aiding an offender.

The charges are in connection to the shooting death of 19-year-old Jacky Vue at the 38th Annual Hmong Freedom Festival at Como Park on Sunday afternoon.

According to the criminal complaint, a fight that began with umbrellas turned deadly when Nougai Xiong allegedly shot Vue two times. Vue was found on the ground behind a refreshment vending tent. He was taken to Region Hospital where he died.

Related: 2 Arrested In Connection To Fatal Hmong Freedom Festival Shooting

Officers spoke to an admitted gang member at the scene about the incident, who said the fight occurred because the suspects were Asian Crips and he and his group were Oroville Mono Boys.

It's unclear if Vue was involved in the fight before being shot.

Another witness at the scene said Nougai Xiong was about 5 feet away from Vue when he shot him with a handgun.

Officers searched the area and arrrested Nougai Xiong and Yang Xiong, who matched descriptions provided by witnesses.

According to the complaint, police interviewed Yang Xiong, who said that he and his cousin, Nougai Xiong, came to the festival together. He told police that Nougai Xiong is an Asian Crip member.

Yang Xiong said two men, from a group he's had history with, approached him and Nougai Xiong and hit them both with umbrellas. They then threatened to kill the two cousins, Yang Xiong said. Yang said that's when Nougai took out his gun and shot one of the men a couple of times. They both then took off running.

According to the complaint, Yang Xiong later showed officers where Nougai allegedly tossed the firearm.

In an interview with police, Nougai Xiong denied being a gang member, or having a gun. However, his relatives said he owns a handgun and carries it around in a holster.

If convicted, Nougai Xiong could face up to 40 years in prison per murder charge. Yang Xiong could face up to 20 years in prison on the aiding an offender charge.