Unfamiliar and not at odds with Nguyen Duc Anh, Ho Thi Mai and her mother suddenly became victims of a massacre just a few hours after the reunion.
On the afternoon of September 3, the bodies of Ms. Mai, 36 years old, along with her 11-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter were brought from the hospital to her home in Binh Minh commune amid heavy rain. Her husband, Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang, 40 years old, was seriously injured but is out of danger.
Neighbors each had a job, moving tables and chairs into the house and helping the family prepare for the funeral.
Mr. Quang's family does not know or have any conflicts with Nguyen Duc Anh, 21 years old. According to initial testimony, early in the morning of the same day, Duc Anh brought a knife to the house of a 17-year-old girl who had a relationship with him but was unable to break in. When the young girl's father discovered and intervened, he climbed over the roof of Mr. Quang's house next to him, attacked the homeowner, then went back inside to commit the crime, causing Ms. Mai and her two children to die.
The last meal of the holiday
Mr. Ho Dinh Manh, 42 years old, Mai's older brother, lives about a kilometer away from his sister's house. He still can't believe that the last time he saw his mother and son the day before was the last time.
At noon on September 2, on the occasion of the holiday, he went to his sister's house to have dinner and stayed until the afternoon. The 11-year-old nephew chirped and showed off the new books his mother bought to prepare for 6th grade.
September 3 was supposed to be the boy's first lesson at his new school.
At about 2 a.m. that morning, while he was sleeping, Mr. Manh received a phone call from his sister's neighbor. The call in the middle of the night made him feel like something was wrong so he immediately ran over.
When we arrived, the scene was in disarray. Ms. Mai and her two children died.
"I don't think yesterday's dinner was the last time I saw you and the children," Mr. Manh said.
According to him, Mai is the youngest child in a family of three brothers. She and her husband moved to the South to start a business for many years, worked together at a company, and saved up to buy a house after a long time living in rented accommodation. The family moved to this area since 2019.
The grandfather went to the South according to his grandson's appointment
Hearing that his son's family was in trouble, Mr. Nguyen Viet Vien, 72 years old, flew to Dong Nai from Nghe An.
A few months ago, on the occasion of a family death anniversary, Mr. Quang and his wife took their two children back to their hometown. His 11-year-old grandson loves being in the countryside, often asking him to take him out and many times urging him to go to the South to visit his family.
"Now that I'm here, my children, where are you?" Mr. Vien said.
Because they were worried about his old age, Nam's relatives initially did not report directly but instead asked for the phone number of someone else in the family to inform them of the incident. When he heard about it, Mr. Vien decided to go in immediately.
In the past, every time Mr. Quang's family returned to Nghe An from the South, relatives were eager to reunite. This time, he came to join his family in taking care of the funeral arrangements for his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Mr. Tu, a neighbor who lives about four houses away, said that Mr. Quang and his wife live in harmony. Whenever the residential area builds roads or has common work, he often stands up and calls for everyone to participate.
In the house after the crime, the son's new bicycle was still stowed. According to Mr. Tu, Mr. Quang just bought a car for his son a few days ago, perhaps to celebrate the boy entering 6th grade.
On the evening of September 2, just a few hours before the incident, he saw the boy riding his new bike, taking his sister to play in front of the house.
"I even teased him to carry his sister so he wouldn't fall. The two of them laughed when they heard that," Mr. Tu said.
Massacre at dawn
According to the initial investigation, in the early morning of September 3, after drinking with a group of friends, Nguyen Duc Anh brought a knife to the house of a 17-year-old girl who had a relationship with him.
Unable to enter the girl's house, he climbed over the roof of Mr. Quang's house next door, opened the second floor door and broke in to the ground floor. Hearing the noise, Mr. Quang went out to check and was attacked by the suspect with a knife.
Mr. Quang ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife to fight back, but was stabbed and seriously injured. He threw away the knife, opened the door and ran out, but Duc Anh continued to chase and attack until the victim collapsed on the street.
Nearly 2 a.m., Mr. Vu Manh Hung, 57 years old, living near the scene, was awakened by the sound of banging on the door. A few minutes later, hearing screams, he ran out and saw a young man wearing a striped shirt, black pants, holding a knife about 20-30 cm long chasing Mr. Quang.
The victim ran to a neighbor's house, about 20 meters from his own house, and collapsed.
Scared, Mr. Hung went back into the house. About 15 minutes later, the police arrived and arrested suspect Duc Anh. When he returned, he saw police carrying a 2-year-old girl and taking an 11-year-old boy to an ambulance. Both later did not survive.
On the afternoon of September 3, Colonel Nguyen Huy Hai, Deputy Director of Dong Nai City Police, and the local delegation visited and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
Mr. Hai said that immediately after receiving the information, the Dong Nai City Police Board of Directors directed professional units to intervene, arrest the suspect and investigate the case.
"We are determined to quickly clarify the crime and strictly handle it according to the law," said Colonel Hai.
