Family of man killed in Sheboygan Walmart shooting speaking out



SHEBOYGAN -- Sheboygan police arrested a 21-year-old Sheboygan man Sunday morning, for his involvement in an overnight shooting at a Sheboygan Walmart store that left one person dead and another hurt. Charges are expected to be filed later this week.

Police responded to the store around 12:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found a 20-year-old man from Milwaukee and a 21-year-old man from Sheboygan with gunshot wounds. The Milwaukee man later died from his injuries. The 21-year-old man was flown by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital and is in critical condition.

The 20-year-old man who died was a student at UW-Milwaukee. Now, family and friends of Pheng Lee are preparing for a traditional Hmong funeral to remember their loved one. Those who knew Lee said he had plans to make his own money, and have a long life. He was a business student at UWM visiting family and friends back home in Sheboygan for winter break. He and three friends ran to the nearby Walmart store Saturday night for snacks, and were planning to watch movies at home.

Police say Lee and his friends were confronted by a man at least one in the group knew. That man shot the 21-year-old man in the face, and shot Lee in the chest, according to police. Police say the injured man was able to tell police who shot them, and police made an arrest Sunday morning at a home on 10th Street in Sheboygan.

Lee's family insists Lee did not know the shooter. They say Lee's dream of starting a shoe line one day will now, never come. "This has been very hard for the Hmong community. You don't know how to make sense of it. It was so insensitive. How could this happen? You try to put two and two together, but it makes no sense to anyone," Lee's sister, Chong Lee said.

Lee's family and friends have set up a memorial fund at any Wells Fargo Bank in Pheng Lee's name.

The suspect is expected to face one count of first degree reckless homicide and three counts of attempted first degree reckless homicide. He's being held in the Sheboygan County Detention Center, awaiting formal charges from the District Attorney's Office.

Court records show the man accused of killing Lee and critically injuring another man has a history of violent behavior. In 2010, he was convicted of punching a 15-year-old boy in the head, using brass knuckles. In 2008, he was convicted of sexual assault for fathering a child with an underage girl. In 2007, he was convicted of attacking that same girl.