Homicide trial for Eau Claire man underway this week
28-year-old Austin Vang is charged with shooting and killing a 14-year-old boy in 2021.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - A jury trial for an Eau Claire man accused of reckless homicide began this week with jury selection.
28-year-old Austin Vang is charged with 1st-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon in the shooting death of 14-year-old Marwan Washington, who died July 21, 2021 after being shot in the neck.
Jury selection in the trial was on Monday. The trial is scheduled to last five days.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, the Eau Claire Police Department said Vang told first responders he was “messing around” with his gun and forgot it was loaded before shooting Washington. Police said Vang was found to have had a history of being negligent with a firearm from interviews during the investigation, telling police that he would ‘mess around’ with the gun without any bullets loaded into it.
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