Fresno prosecutors identify alleged ringleader of retaliation shooting that killed four people
The alleged mastermind behind a brutal mass shooting that left four people dead wasn’t in Fresno Superior Court for his arraignment on Friday, though his alleged co-conspirators were.
Prosecutors believe Ger Lee, a high-ranking member of a Fresno street gang called Mongolian Boys Society orchestrated the attack that killed Kou Xiong, 38; Xy Lee, 23; Kalaxang Thao, 40; and Phia Vang, 31; and injured six others.
Lee, 27, was recently arrested along with six other members of the gang for the Nov. 17 shooting in southeast Fresno. Lee was caught in Minnesota and is awaiting extradition. The others were captured in Fresno.
Anthony Montes, 27; Porge Kue, 26; and Billy Xiong, 25, have been charged with four counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder. Dressed in red jumpsuits, all three men pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on Friday.
Bail was set at $23.7 million for each defendant. The murder charges also include special circumstances, including committing multiple murders, and killing for the benefit of a street gang.
If convicted, Lee, Montes, Kue and Xiong face the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Assistant District Attorney Steve Wright said it may be more than a month before they decide whether to pursue the death penalty.
The killings happened on Nov. 17 as more than a dozen people gathered at a home in the 5300 block of East Lamona Avenue to watch a football game.
Police allege the shooting was intended as retaliation for the shooting death of a brother of a Mongolian Boys Society member.
A criminal complaint filed in Superior Court on Thursday accuses Lee of directing the retaliation shooting. He’s the one who called a meeting to plan how the gang was going to retaliate. Prosecutors allege in the complaint that Lee designated what role each gang member would play, including who would do the shooting.
Lee assigned Billy Xiong to be the driver and Montes and Kue to be the shooters, according to the complaint.
Others were chosen as lookouts, including Pao Vang, 30, Jhovanny Delgado-Marcelo, 19, and Johnny Xiong, 25. Each was charged in U.S. District Court and face federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder in the aid of racketeering.
Delgado-Marcelo, and Johnny Xiong pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in federal court. Vang did not enter a plea and hasn’t yet been appointed an attorney.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Fresno prosecutors identify alleged ringleader of retaliation shooting that killed four people."
