‘He’s a good kid’: Family breaks silence after 14-year-old kills parents, injures his 11-year-old sister

FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: A 14-year-old boy is accused of killing his parents and injuring his sister in their rural home in Fresno County, California, on December 27, 2023.

The family of the victims, who are part of the Hmong community, are in shock and disbelief over the tragedy.

Se Vang and Lue Yang: Parents found dead, sister critically wounded

The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, allegedly stabbed and shot his parents, Se Vang and Lue Yang, both 37, last Wednesday night, December 27.

He also attacked his 11-year-old sister who is expected to recover from her injuries. Another brother, aged seven, was home but not harmed.

The teen called 911 and claimed that an intruder broke in, killed his parents and wounded his sister before fleeing in a pickup truck. However, police found his story to be inconsistent and arrested him on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Family mourns ‘beacons of light’ and ‘devoted parents’ killed by son

Yang and Vang were part of a large extended family in California and the Midwest that is now grieving and searching for answers. They said the couple were "beacons of light," and leaders within our close-knit circle’ who died in a ‘shocking and untimely manner.'

"The loss we feel is immeasurable and has left a profound void in our family," they said in a statement according to Daily Mail.

"There are no words to express how our hearts continually break while recalling the tragic loss of our beloved siblings and thinking about our babies, who are left to survive in this world without their birth parents," the statement added.

Yang’s brother Lily Lee wrote, "I’ve never cried so much in my life and is still in disbelief. If my tears can build a stairway to heaven I will not stop crying until I can bring you back. Love you two so dearly."

Family seeks justice and support for orphaned children

Family spokesman Pao Yang, who runs the local Fresno Center, said no one had any idea what motivated the alleged murders. He said the boy was a "good kid, normal kid, normal American kid" who had no history of violence or mental issues.

"They’re in shock, they’re in tears, they don’t know what’s going on, they don’t know what happened, and you know, you’re dealing with minors. You’re dealing with three children without their parents," he said.

"We want to figure out what happened. We also want to make sure that he’s safe," he added. The family is trying to raise $60,000 to pay for the funeral and the medical expenses of the injured girl and to provide for the orphaned children.

Neither of the parents had life insurance according to Mary Yang, who is organizing fundraiser GoFundMe. More than $11,000 has been donated so far.

The boy will face Fresno County Superior Court on Wednesday, December 3. However, he cannot be charged as an adult under California law, due to his age.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni said he used multiple weapons to kill his parents and attempt to kill his sister. He was charged with two counts of murder and one attempted murder.