This has to be a hate crime. How is this not a hate crime? In Milwaukee, a 39-year-old man faces murder charges for targeting, hunting down and fatally shooting three people on the city's southwest side.
Man methodically targeted neighbors in triple homicide, complaint says
Dan J. Popp faces three counts of first-degree intentional homicide in the deaths of 40-year-old Jesus R. Manso-Perez, 36-year-old Phia Vue and 32-year-old Mai K. Vue. Popp also faces a charge of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting at, but not wounding, 18-year-old Jesus Manso-Carrasquillo.
The killings occurred on Sunday, March 6 at the four-unit apartment building Popp shared with the victims. According to the criminal complaint, the shootings began after Popp offered Manso Perez a beer, then questioned his ability to speak English.
Popp, according to the criminal complaint, attacked Manso-Perez and his son as they were coming upstairs after putting a load of clothes into the washing machine. Before they went to the basement, the document states, Popp had asked where they were from, to which they replied "Puerto Rico." Popp, who is white, then said, "Oh, that's why you don't speak English," the complaint says.
When they came back up, Popp was waiting with a long gun, police say. He told the father and son, "You guys got to go," and shot Manso-Perez, according to the complaint.
Manso-Carrasquillo ran down the stairs and outside, where he alerted people who called 911, police say.
Shortly afterward, according to the criminal complaint, Popp burst into the Vues' apartment. The family had fled into bedrooms when they heard the shooting, but Popp forced his way inside, led Phia Vue out and killed him, police say.
Popp then started to drag Mai Vue and her two young daughters out of the apartment, the document states. Authorities found Mai Vue dead in Popp's apartment.
Police, responding to an active shooter call, took Popp into custody without a struggle. It's a little stunning that this white guy hunted down and killed his Puerto Rican and Hmong neighbors in cold blood, prompted by this "you don't speak English" moment... and nobody is calling this a hate crime?
On Thursday, he made his first initial appearance in court, where his attorney requested a competency exam. A court-ordered mental health examiner will determine if Popp understands the charges and is able to aid in his defense. He currently remains in Milwaukee County Jail on $150,000 bail.
More here: Relatives, others remember Milwaukee triple-slaying victims