Man charged with manslaughter in deadly shooting of brother

Police investigate outside the Vang home on James Avenue North in the early morning hours of April 29, 2022. (FOX 9)

A man is charged with manslaughter for a strange shooting in Minneapolis last month that claimed the life of the suspect's brother.

Fong Vang, age 40, is charged with manslaughter in the second degree for the shooting last Thursday that killed his brother Dan Vang.

Investigators were called out to a home at 2015 North James Avenue for the report of a man shot shortly before midnight on April 28. At the scene, officers found Dan Vang barely breathing with a gunshot wound to his neck. He was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, less than 20 minutes later.

The scene

When police arrived, they found Fong Vang next to his brother near the front door of the home. According to a witness who called 911, Fong Vang had been screaming for help and saying he shot his brother.

In the front door, police spotted a bullet hole on the exterior side of the door and a bullet hole in the closet near the entryway.

Officer also recovered a Glock handgun with an extended magazine along with three discharged cartridge casings. Under Dan Vang, police found a set of keys.

The front door of the home had two doors: a cage-type door and a normal front door. Police were told that one of the doors was making a loud noise when opened.

What happened?

The circumstances of the shooting remain murky, including why the suspect fired the shots.

Investigators say Dan Vang lived at the home in the Jordan neighborhood with his mother and a third brother. Fong Vang was also staying at the home temporarily because he didn't have a place to stay. On the night of the shooting, police say the mother was not home.

Dan Vang was returning home from work when shots were fired, officers said. The third brother, identified in court papers only as J.V., told police he was sleeping upstairs and woke up to three shots being fired, adding that there was a "noticeable pause" between the shots.

What the suspect said

After the shooting, Fong Vang agreed to interviews with police. According to the charges, when he arrived home on the night of April 28, he was told by J.V. that Dan Vang hadn't yet arrived home.

Fong Vang also admitted, according to the complaint, that he knew his brother usually returned home from work between 11:30 p.m. and midnight -- and that he knew the person at the door could have been his brother.

However, when asked why he was fired, Fong Vang didn't really have an answer.

"[Fong Vang] indicated he had a gun and he sleeps with it by his side," the complaint details. "The Defendant said when the door made noise, he got up and 'he doesn't know what happened.'"

According to the complaint, Fong Vang later admitted he shot his brother but couldn't say what "triggered" him to fire.

Fong Vang is currently being held in Hennepin County Jail on the manslaughter charge.