Editor's note: The above video originally aired in Sept. 2020 as part of initial coverage of the Boo Han Market shooting.
A man accused of shooting his estranged wife and two others, one of whom died, at Boo Han Oriental Market in Edmonds in September has been charged.
Duy Phuong Nguyen, 27, of Everett was charged Friday with first degree murder, first degree domestic violence assault and first degree assault for a shooting that prosecutors called “senseless and brazen.”
Nguyen’s estranged wife, a 24-year-old Mountlake Terrace woman, was shot in the face and survived. Her roommate, a 20-year-old Mountlake Terrace woman, was shot in the abdomen and died. That woman’s boyfriend, a 23-year-old man, was shot in the lower body and also survived.
Nguyen and his estranged wife married in Vietnam three years ago, according to charging documents. However, Nguyen moved to the United States to live with his parents, and his wife stayed in Vietnam until July when Nguyen sponsored her visa.
Shortly after the woman moved to Everett, Nguyen allegedly started assaulting her. The woman told detectives she tried to report one of the incidents to 911, but Nguyen’s family accused her of not respecting them, according to charging papers.
In mid-August, the estranged wife moved in with the 20-year-old woman who died in the shooting after Nguyen’s parents “kicked [her] out,” according to charging documents.
The estranged wife told police Nguyen started tracking her movements, and the night before the Sept. 29 shooting sent her messages to the effect of “[T.V.L., the roommate] is finished,” and “Tomorrow everything will end.”
The next day, Nguyen went to the market looking for roommate, who had already finished her shift. The roommate and her boyfriend came back to the market after being alerted to Nguyen’s whereabouts to “smooth things over,” according to charging documents.
The roommate’s boyfriend decided to call police and not approach Nguyen “based on his demeanor.” However, while the boyfriend was on the phone with 911, Nguyen allegedly opened fire outside the market.
Prosecutors say Nguyen fired about a dozen shots, and it was “sheer luck” that Nguyen’s estranged wife and the roommate’s boyfriend survived.
Nguyen fled but later called police with his mother and said he wanted to “surrender,” according to charging documents.
Nguyen, who had a concealed carry permit, lawfully bought the suspected murder weapon 14 days before the shooting, according to charging documents.
At the time, police said the shooting was a tragic reminder of the danger of domestic violence. Police urged domestic violence victims to continue to use their resources, trust their gut and seek help, including calling law enforcement, if they feel they are in danger.