thedrifter
10-23-03, 10:31 AM
Reward offered to help find killer of Marine who earned Purple Heart in Iraq
(10-21) 20:25 PDT LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) --
A $10,000 reward was offered Tuesday to help find the gunman who shot to death a Marine who was celebrating his return from Iraq.
Lance Cpl. Sok Khak Ung, 22, who was stationed at Camp Pendleton, and a family friend, Vouthy Tho, 21, of Long Beach, were shot early Sunday while partying in a garage at a Long Beach home.
A gunman reached over a wooden fence next to the garage and fired six to eight shots before fleeing, police said.
"I am outraged that someone would so cowardly gun down this brave soldier," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, who is offering the reward.
"Ung served his country well, protecting our freedoms in the war against terrorism," Knabe said. "His killers should be brought to justice."
Ung, of San Francisco, earned a Purple Heart after he was hit by shrapnel from a land mine in April in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, Camp Pendleton spokesman Bill Lisbon said Tuesday.
Lisbon said Ung also participated in the rescue of Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch. The combat engineer was part of a "diversion force" which attacked the enemy to distract them while a special force unit went into the hospital to rescue Lynch, Lisbon said.
Ung was set to complete his four years of military service on Oct. 31.
"This man had only 12 days left with the Marine Corps," Lisbon said. "It's sad to think he came back from the war to die in this country."
Tho, a 21-year-old aspiring rapper, who was about to release an album, was shot once in the head, officials said. He was pronounced dead Monday night after being hospitalized in critical condition, police spokesman Greg Schirmer said.
Police investigating the shootings have not identified the suspect and the motive for the shooting remained unknown.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/21/state2325EDT0201.DTL
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
(10-21) 20:25 PDT LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) --
A $10,000 reward was offered Tuesday to help find the gunman who shot to death a Marine who was celebrating his return from Iraq.
Lance Cpl. Sok Khak Ung, 22, who was stationed at Camp Pendleton, and a family friend, Vouthy Tho, 21, of Long Beach, were shot early Sunday while partying in a garage at a Long Beach home.
A gunman reached over a wooden fence next to the garage and fired six to eight shots before fleeing, police said.
"I am outraged that someone would so cowardly gun down this brave soldier," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, who is offering the reward.
"Ung served his country well, protecting our freedoms in the war against terrorism," Knabe said. "His killers should be brought to justice."
Ung, of San Francisco, earned a Purple Heart after he was hit by shrapnel from a land mine in April in the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, Camp Pendleton spokesman Bill Lisbon said Tuesday.
Lisbon said Ung also participated in the rescue of Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch. The combat engineer was part of a "diversion force" which attacked the enemy to distract them while a special force unit went into the hospital to rescue Lynch, Lisbon said.
Ung was set to complete his four years of military service on Oct. 31.
"This man had only 12 days left with the Marine Corps," Lisbon said. "It's sad to think he came back from the war to die in this country."
Tho, a 21-year-old aspiring rapper, who was about to release an album, was shot once in the head, officials said. He was pronounced dead Monday night after being hospitalized in critical condition, police spokesman Greg Schirmer said.
Police investigating the shootings have not identified the suspect and the motive for the shooting remained unknown.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/21/state2325EDT0201.DTL
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: