On November 27, 2015, 32-year-old Sacramento resident Xang Thao was killed in a shooting in the parking lot of Vientiane Cafe in South Sacramento. The shooting followed a physical altercation inside the cafe. Four men were struck by gunfire after the confrontation; Xang Thao and 26-year-old Paul Xiong were killed, and another person suffered life-threatening injuries.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department investigated, aiming to identify suspects and establish a motive. Initial accounts pointed to the altercation inside the cafe as the catalyst for the parking-lot shooting, but the specific reasons for the fight and the identities of the shooters were unclear in the immediate aftermath. Investigators encountered difficulties obtaining sufficient evidence and witness testimony to make arrests, and no clear suspects were identified then.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department to help bring answers for Thao’s family and the community.