Hundreds mourn for
Toua Xiong and call
for an end to
violence
By Tom LaVenture
MINNEAPOLIS (August
11, 2006) – More
than 200 people
attended a vigil
last Friday in
Minneapolis to mourn
the death of Toua
Xiong, the
20-year-old pizza
deliveryman who was
shot and killed the
evening of August 6,
2006, shortly after
delivering to a home
on Colfax Avenue.
The vigil began at
the North Broadway
Pizza Hut where Toua
Xiong worked. Doua
Lee, executive
director, South East
Asian Community
Council, who
organized the event,
spoke with a
mournful tone about
Toua Xiong, but let
loose his
frustration that
this “unfortunate
tragedy is something
that everyone must
work to prevent from
happening again in
the future.” He said
it would take
parents, neighbors,
and city resources
to keep children
from making the
wrong choices and
the wrong path.
As darkness fell,
the candlelit vigil
stretched for blocks
as it moved about a
mile to the home
home of Toua Xiong
on Logan Avenue.
They were greeted by
family, including
his mother, Mee
Vang, who spoke
briefly through an
interpreter, saying
that she cannot
believe that her son
is gone, and hopes
that because of his
violent death that
he will be rewarded
with a good life in
his next life.
“My house and my
heart feel empty,”
said Mee Vang
through an
interpreter.
Mai Yang, who is
Toua Xiong’s eldest
sister, was present
with the surviving
twelve siblings.
Toua was the seventh
of thirteen children
(7 boys and 6
girls). She
explained that their
father was on his
way back from Laos,
where he was en
route to when his
son was murdered.
She thanked HAMAA,
Hennepin County, the
City of Minneapolis
and the Police
Department for their
support, along with
several individuals
and community for
their support.
“Thanks to everyone
who has helped us,”
said Mai Yang.
She held herself
together by asking
people to do
whatever it takes to
prevent others from
dying a violent
death like her
brother. She did not
want to talk about
her brother in
public because it
was just too
painful.
Ae Moua, a friend of
Toua Xiong’s was
also a former
deliveryman who quit
after the third time
he was robbed.
Despite the hazards
of the job, he was
shocked at the
shooting, and said
it could have
happened to any one
of them. The
community response
meant a lot to him.
Moua recalls Toua as
someone who was hard
working and always
in good humor. He
said Toua never
messed around and
was the guy who got
things done.
“He was the best
driver here,” said
Moua.
Two area residents,
Marge Higgins, and
Mary Opila, said the
violence problem
requires a
multifaceted
approach, and that
Minneapolis
neighborhoods are
too often pointing
the finger at each
other and do not see
this as everyone’s
issue. They feel
that people should
be just as outraged
about the shooting
of Toua Xiong as
they are about any
other murder in
other Minneapolis
neighborhoods.
“It’s part history,
it’s part racism,
it’s part of lot of
things,” said
Higgins.
“The neighborhoods
are playing off each
other, and the media
is playing off of
that,” said Opila.
“That leads to
unfair
representation.”
Several members of a
Twin Cities Catholic
youth group were
present representing
Saint Olaf’s, Saint
Bridget’s, Saint
Odelia, Holy Name of
Jesus and other
parishes. Brian
Deeney, a junior at
Wayzata High School,
said the youth
members came in the
interest of showing
community support to
take a stand against
killing and comfort
for the family.
Fifth Ward
Minneapolis City
Councilman Don
Samuels and Mayor
R.T. Rybak both
offered words of
compassion and
inspiration at the
vigil. The Mayor
called for a peace
movement for change.
He said that the
value of life is
stronger than
bullets, and that
this is the loss of
Toua Xiong has taken
a piece of all of
us.
Samuels encouraged
acts of visible
support that would
“break the hearts”
of people who would
otherwise commit
violent acts upon
others. He asked the
vigil participants
to repeat four
times, “Toua Xiong,
we love you. Toua
Xiong, we remember
you.” Neighbors who
had no idea about
the vigil were
moved. Others seemed
upset at the
attention given to
just one more life.
But no one seemed
unaffected.
The Minneapolis
Police Violent Crime
Apprehension Team
arrested Jermaine
Mack-Lynch, 20, on
August 8, 2006 and
have charged him in
connection with the
murder.
The family invited
the public to the
visitation at the
Legacy Funeral Home
in St. Paul from
August 25-28. They
are having
difficulty paying
for the funeral.
Donations can be
made to the Toua
Xiong Memorial Fund
at US Bank, 1030 W.
Broadway,
Minneapolis, MN
55411, or any US
Bank branch.
