Friends and family of a Hmong couple and their Latino neighbor plan to make their presence known in a Milwaukee courtroom today in the insanity trial of Dan Popp.
Popp plead no contest in September to three counts of intentional homicide and one count of attempted first degree intentional homicide in the shooting deaths of Phia and Mai Vue and their neighbor Jesus Manso-Perez. He also entered a plea of not guilty by reason of mental defect, according to the Journal Sentinel.
The Hmong community had called for hate crime charges. Witnesses say Popp asked Jesus Manso-Perez about his ethnic background and then uttered something about “you guys got to go” before shooting and killing Manso-Perez and injuring his son. Authorities said he then went to the apartment of the Vues and pulled them out of their bedroom in front of their children before killing the couple.
A group called Justice for Phia and Mai Xiong-Vue and Jesus Manso-Perez issued a call on Facebook for supporters to pack the courtroom at today’s trial.
“This horrific act of violence is a wake up call to all Wisconsin citizens that no one is safe, even in our own homes,” said the group in a statement. “We believe this heinous act was motivated by hate and should be prosecuted as such. We urge everyone to stand in solidarity with the victim’s families to put an end to hate and violence.”
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If the insanity plea is accepted, Popp would be sent to a state mental hospital for indefinite treatment. If not, he faces mandatory life sentences on the homicide counts.
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