Trial of Deer Hunter in 6 Slayings Begins

A deer hunter accused of shooting and killing six hunters and wounding two others last fall acted after he felt insulted, a prosecutor told jurors in opening statements at his trial in Hayward. The defense said Chai Soua Vang, 36, felt physically threatened by a group of white hunters who tormented him with racial slurs.

Vang’s lawyer, Steve Kohn, said Vang, of St. Paul, Minn., fired because he believed another hunter shot at him first.

Prosecutors said Vang fired first because he was angry the others were disrespectful to him and said they would report him to state game wardens for trespassing.

Vang is charged with six counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.