A San Francisco resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of attempted murder after allegedly firing gunshots at a mail carrier during a delivery, according to prosecutors.
The suspect, Vo Nguyen, made his initial appearance in federal court on Friday, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in a statement.
Prosecutors detailed the incident, stating that on April 1, Nguyen fired at least 15 shots at a mail carrier who was attempting to deliver mail to a woman outside his residence, according to KTVU’s reporting. KTVU’s Henry Lee reported that the woman was Nguyen’s sister, and Nyguen continued to shoot at the carrier even after his sister told him that the carrier was “federal.”
Vo Nguyen charged by @USAO_NDCA w/att.murder & assault for chasing after & firing 16 shots w/stolen 9mm pistol at @USPS worker after he tried to deliver mail to his sister on Sparta in Vis Valley, even after she warned him victim was “federal,”per @USPIS_SF @SFPD @sfpdinvestigate pic.twitter.com/TWmNcBEcy4
— Henry K. Lee (@henrykleeKTVU) May 20, 2023
As KRON4 reported at the time, that Saturday, around 10 a.m., Nguyen, 38, emerged from his house on Sparta Street in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood yelling at the postal officer.
In an attempt to escape the confrontation, the mail carrier reportedly fled down the street, but Nguyen allegedly pursued him, according to KTVU. The mail carrier reportedly resorted to using pepper spray against Nguyen, who then got into a Toyota Land Cruiser and located the carrier on a nearby street. Nguyen then allegedly fired seven to eight shots at the carrier, and as the carrier tried to flee, five more shots were fired.
Prosecutors say that Nguyen continued to pursue the carrier, who sought refuge behind a parked SUV in a driveway nearby, firing three additional shots until he apparently ran out of ammunition, according to prosecutors.
The gun that Nguyen had used was also allegedly stolen, according to KRON4.
Nguyen now reportedly faces charges that include assault on a federal employee with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of a federal employee, and using a firearm in a crime of violence. The assault and attempted murder charges could bring a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and the firearm charge also carries a penalty ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.
Feature image via Unsplash/Joel Moysuh.
