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07/10/2008: "Accused Dallas-area suburban shooter (Vietnamese) to be charged with hate crimes"

A man accused of shooting at men, women and children he never met during a three-day rampage last week will be charged with hate crimes after telling investigators he was targeting specific ethnic groups.

Thai-An Huu Nguyen

Thai-An Huu Nguyen, 22, said he shot at motorists he thought were Asian or Hispanic in Garland, Mesquite, Richardson and Plano because of two altercations he had in recent months with people of those backgrounds, police said.

"It was during that last interview [last week] where he admitted to doing the shootings that he told detectives that was his target, it was Hispanics and Asians," Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said.

Based on that admission, the charges against Mr. Nguyen â€" who emigrated from Vietnam with his family in 2000 â€" will be filed as hate crimes, significantly increasing the amount of prison time he could receive if convicted, police said.

[ Aren't all crimes "hate" crimes when it comes down to it? ]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/070908dnmetshootingfolo.3eb980c.html