On the morning of April 29, speaking with VietNamNet reporters, the leader of the Vinh Long Provincial Police confirmed that the case involving Nguyen Vinh Phuc (42 years old, resident of Bang Chang Hamlet, Tra Con Commune, Tra On District) shooting N.V.B.C. (33 years old) in Vinh Xuan Commune, Tra On District is under investigation.

"As the case is under investigation, we cannot provide detailed information at this time," the police representative said.

Later that morning, N.T.M.H (Phuc’s older sister) confirmed that Phuc passed away at 8 PM on April 28 at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and was subsequently brought back to his hometown for burial.

According to H., Phuc's actions stemmed from despair after his daughter’s death in a traffic accident for which authorities did not initiate a criminal case. She said Phuc had not expressed any distress or discussed his feelings with the family before the incident.

"If my younger brother had shared his thoughts, we might have been able to prevent this tragedy," she said through tears. Phuc had been working for a gypsum company in Ho Chi Minh City while his wife was a homemaker. They have four young children.

Authorities’ views on the traffic accident

According to VietNamNet’s investigation, C. was the driver involved in a collision that killed Phuc’s ninth-grade daughter on September 4, 2024.

At the time, C. was driving a truck on Provincial Road 901 through Vinh Xuan Commune, Tra On District. As he approached Vinh Loi Hamlet, a pickup truck was parked along the roadside, prompting him to signal and attempt to overtake.

Meanwhile, two electric bicycles, ridden by schoolgirls N. and Tr. (Phuc’s daughter), were traveling in the opposite direction.

Seeing the approaching truck, N. stopped her bike. However, Tr., riding behind, collided with N.'s bicycle, fell onto the road, and was run over by C.'s truck. She was critically injured and died on the way to the hospital.

Following the accident, the Tra On District Police Investigation Agency coordinated with the local People's Procuracy and Court to review the case.

The Tra On District Police determined that the primary cause of the accident was Tr.'s failure to pay attention while riding, violating Clause 23, Article 8 of the Road Traffic Law.

The collision with N.'s stationary bicycle caused Tr. to fall into the path of C.'s truck. C., who was overtaking the parked pickup, had moved into the oncoming lane and could not avoid hitting Tr. Although his action constituted a traffic violation under Clause 1, Article 9 of the Road Traffic Law, it was classified as an administrative offense.

However, the People's Procuracy and the District Court held that C. bore full responsibility for the accident, violating Clause 2, Article 14 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, by overtaking unsafely. They also deemed Tr.'s lack of attention an administrative violation.

Due to this disagreement, the case was escalated to provincial authorities.

The Vinh Long Provincial Police Investigation Office, in collaboration with the provincial People's Procuracy and the PC08 traffic police division, reviewed the scene and evidence.

They concluded that the primary cause was Tr.'s failure to maintain a safe distance and pay attention, resulting in the initial collision. Consequently, the truck driven by C. could not stop in time, leading to the fatal accident.

The police concluded that this was a violation of Clause 1, Article 12, and Clause 23, Article 8 of the amended and supplemented Road Traffic Law (2008, revised 2018, 2019).

Thus, the Tra On District Police decided not to pursue criminal charges in the case.

Fatal shooting on April 28

Around 7:30 AM on April 28, N.V.B.C. (33 years old, resident of Tam Ngai Commune, Cau Ke District, Tra Vinh Province) was standing inside his home in La Ghi Hamlet, Vinh Xuan Commune, when Phuc entered and shot him in the head with a homemade revolver.

Security camera footage shows Phuc wearing a helmet, face mask, and a dark long-sleeved shirt, walking into the house, pulling out a handgun from his pocket, and shooting C. at close range.

After the shooting, Phuc walked about 200 meters to National Highway 54, where he used the same gun to shoot himself in the head.

Vinh Xuan Commune Police quickly arrived at the scene, secured the area, and transported both the victim and Phuc to Can Tho for emergency treatment.

By noon, Phuc was transferred to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where he died later that evening.

Hoai Thanh