The person suspected of fatally shooting a man and injuring another in a restaurant in Bloomington last week has been charged by prosecutors. According to the charges, the shooting was an act of jealousy.
Aaron Le, 48, was initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder, soon to be upgraded to first-degree, according to Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, after he shot a man who was dating his ex-wife, according to court documents.
The victim was identified Wednesday as Tu Anh Phan, 49.
The charges say that on Nov. 23, at approximately 1:30 p.m., police were dispatched to Co Tu restaurant after they received reports of a shooting. When police arrived, Le had already fled the scene.
According to the documents, the shooting resulted in Phan's death and another being hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The extent of the injuries were not shared.
Investigators collected footage of the events and found that Le entered the restaurant and approached Phan before pointing a gun at him. He was then forced out of the restaurant, before returning to find the Phan who was hiding.
“The patrons and the eventual homicide victim would attempt to stop him from reentering the restaurant, but they were overpowered by the suspect,” Hodges said while speaking at a press conference.
A fight then broke out between those in the restaurant and the shooter, according to the documents. While restaurant patrons were able to get the gun free from the shooter, he had another gun that he was able to get free and use to fire at Phan.
Following the shooting, investigators found that the victim had been seeing a woman who was going through the process of divorcing Le. They also found that Le “was jealous” of the victim's interactions with his ex, which they believe led to the shooting.
After the shooting Le fled the state, and Hodges praised the work done by law enforcement to find him.
“The steps he took to get away, I mean, I don’t know if we would have caught this guy,” Hodges said.
Le was arrested in Oklahoma late last week after he was tracked by his cell phone through Iowa and Kansas. He was found in Kay County, Oklahoma, in a van registered to his name.
“You don’t get to shoot people here and think you’re going to enjoy the benefits of a free society,” Hodges said.
Le is still in custody in Kay County.
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