Man fatally shot restaurant patrons execution style, TX cops say. He’s going to prison

A man accused of killing two restaurant patrons execution-style has pleaded guilty to an amended charge and will now spend decades in prison, Texas authorities say.

Bich Xuan Dang, 51, was set to enter a jury trial following the Oct. 5, 2022, shooting at Tai Loi restaurant in Houston. Instead, he has pleaded guilty to murder in the deaths of Hanh Nguyen, 63, and Long Nguyen, 51, court records show.

Dang’s attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Aug. 15.

The Nguyens were found unresponsive in a booth suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene, McClatchy News reported at the time.

A witness said Dang and two accomplices targeted the victims, court records say.

“They entered the restaurant, knew where the (victims) were sitting and immediately began to shoot them,” the witness told police, adding that they were in the restaurant for about two minutes.

A motive for the killings is unclear. But shortly before Dang and the accused accomplices entered the restaurant, they had demanded money from a nearby restaurant, according to the court documents.

A worker at the initial business said the suspects “came in and attempted to extort money from them, threatening to cause problems if they did not comply,” police said.

Fifteen minutes after a security guard ushered them out of the business, they executed the shooting at Tai Loi, according to police.

Nearly two weeks later, Dang was arrested following a standoff with police, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Dang was initially charged with capital murder, and he pleaded guilty to the downgraded charge of murder, court records show. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

“The evidence was overwhelming, with clear video footage and eyewitnesses prepared to testify,” Harris County Assistant District Attorney Chris Condon told KRIV.

A second man, Hieu Trong Nguyen, is also charged with capital murder, police said. Officers have yet to arrest a third man involved in the crime, KRIV reported.

This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Man fatally shot restaurant patrons execution style, TX cops say. He’s going to prison."