Hearings for pair accused of shooting 5 in Tulsa

TULSA — Preliminary hearings are scheduled for two men accused of shooting five people at a Hmong New Year's festival in Tulsa.

Court records show that 21-year-old Boonmlee Lee and 19-year-old Meng Lee are to appear in district court Friday morning.

Both have pleaded innocent to one count of shooting with intent to kill and five counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

Prosecutors believe one victim was likely targeted at the October festival because he mediated a dispute involving the suspects' family, which was not resolved in their favor.

The Lees and the five injured people are all ethnic Hmong, who hail from Asian countries including Laos, China, Vietnam and Thailand. Between 3,000 and 4,000 Hmong live in Tulsa, many arriving in recent years in search of jobs.

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