Tu Le Ngo

Parties and identities

• Tu Le Ngo, 60, was the gunman who shot his estranged wife and two customers.
• Kimtuyet Thi Le, 56, was Ngo’s estranged husband’s co-owner of Kim Vietnamese Restaurant and Ngo’s wife.
• Polaris Nguyen, 44, was shot and killed in the restaurant.
• Nuoi Vinh, 50, was shot and killed in the restaurant.
• Jenny Ngo was Ngo’s daughter.

Timeline

• 1990 — Kimtuyet Thi Le came to the United States from Vietnam with her husband.
• 1997 — The two had not lived together since 1997.
• 1999 — Kimtuyet Thi Le filed for divorce; the case was later dismissed.
• Tuesday — Shortly before 5 p.m., Ngo walked into Kim Vietnamese Restaurant and began shooting.
• Tuesday (shortly before 5 p.m.) — Ngo surrendered and admitted to shooting his wife as police rushed into the restaurant.
• Wednesday — Ngo remained behind bars; Jenny Ngo cleaned up the restaurant and said she received phone calls from her father shortly after the shootings.
• 2003 — Ngo was sentenced to life imprisonment; he was serving three life sentences.

Background

Ngo and Kimtuyet Thi Le had co-owned Kim Vietnamese Restaurant together. Kimtuyet Thi Le came to the United States from Vietnam in 1990 with her husband. She filed for divorce in 1999, and that divorce case was later dismissed. The two had not lived together since 1997. Witnesses said marital problems may have sparked the shooting and that jealousy was a factor.

The offence

Ngo walked into Kim Vietnamese Restaurant and shot his wife and two customers. Investigators said Ngo shot his wife, Kimtuyet Thi Le, and customers Polaris Nguyen and Nuoi Vinh at close range, with each victim shot at least twice in the head.

Witnesses said two victims tried to stop the suspect. One witness reported that the suspect warned: "If you stop me. I will kill you, too." Witnesses said Ngo made good on the threat by shooting Nguyen and Vinh. Investigators said the shooting occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday at Kim Vietnamese Restaurant, 8200 Wilcrest Drive, in southwest Houston.

Investigation and arrest

Houston Police Department spokesman Robert Hurst said:

"(The suspect) walked up to the officers, and placed a weapon on the ground, and surrendered immediately to the responding officers,"

Investigators said Ngo surrendered and admitted to shooting his wife as police rushed into the restaurant. Ngo was read his rights in English and Vietnamese and taken into custody.

Trial

Ngo pleaded guilty. Witnesses described the circumstances leading to the shooting, including concerns about paying a food bill.

Witness Joe Huynh said:

"Two victims in there tried to stop the suspect," and "I heard the suspect warn that, 'If you stop me. I will kill you, too.'"

Huynh also said:

"The way I look at it, it was (jealousy),"

Investigators said several customers exited the restaurant when Ngo opened fire and were asking them to contact police to provide information about the shootings.

Sentencing

Ngo was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003. Investigators said he pleaded guilty and was serving three life sentences.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

Ngo remained behind bars after the shooting. He pleaded guilty and received three life sentences, and he was serving three life sentences as of the reporting.

Aftermath

Jenny Ngo cleaned up the restaurant owned by both her parents. She said her father called her shortly after the shootings and told her he killed her mother and someone inside the restaurant.

Jenny Ngo said:

"My dad called me and he told me that he killed my mom and somebody inside the restaurant,"

She said her father told her to get to the restaurant quickly:

"My dad called me and he told me that he killed my mom and somebody inside the restaurant," and "When I (got) here, he tried to say (he was) sorry to me," and "He (was) sad and crying. And he (told) me, 'Take care.'"

Jenny Ngo said she received another phone call from her father explaining what happened and describing customers he shot for continuously failing to pay their food bill:

"Yesterday, the same guy (came) in and my dad tried to ask him (to) pay the money,"

She said the man did not pay and tried to hit her father:

"But he (didn't) pay (and) tried to hit (my father)."

As for her mother’s death, Jenny Ngo said she suspected her father may have accidentally killed her:

"And my mom tried to stop my dad, but maybe that (was) an accident," and "I don't think my dad (wanted) to kill my mom."