Minnesota Man Arrested for Arson and Assault “Believed The Devil was in The Walls.”
A Minnesota man was arrested after allegedly shooting his wife, threatening their infant child, and setting fire to their home. The suspect, Lue Xiong, 31, was taken into custody by Minneapolis police on March 22 following the incident at the residence he shared with his wife and their six children.
According to a probable cause statement, Xiong’s wife reported that he had been using illegal narcotics and exhibited erratic behavior, including talking to walls and tearing them apart while claiming the devil was inside them. She stated that he had demonstrated similar behavior in the past and had previously fired a gun at the walls of their home.
On the morning of the fire, Xiong accused his wife of infidelity while holding an AK-47 assault rifle. When she denied the accusation, he allegedly threatened her before shooting her in the leg. He then refused to let her call for medical assistance and instead ordered their two oldest children to tend to her injury. She later informed authorities that she refrained from calling 911 earlier because Xiong had threatened to shoot responding officers, and she wanted to avoid further violence.
As she lay in bed recovering from the gunshot wound, her children alerted her to a fire that had ignited in the basement laundry room. The family, except for Xiong, evacuated the home. Authorities arriving at the scene detained Xiong and conducted a search of the premises. Investigators discovered evidence suggesting the fire was deliberately set, including a water bottle with an improvised squirt hole that emitted a strong gasoline odor. Additionally, a gray beanie containing a black and gray sock was found, inside of which was a glass bubble pipe and a baggie containing a white crystalline substance.
Xiong’s wife was transported to the hospital, where she underwent surgery for her leg injury. She later informed investigators that in the days leading up to the fire, Xiong had fired shots into the walls, believing a demon was coming through them. She also stated that he frequently carried his gun around the house and shot at walls in response to noises outside.
She further reported that Xiong had repeatedly claimed their 8-month-old baby was possessed by the devil and had nearly pointed his gun at the child before their eldest son intervened.
Following his arrest, Xiong was charged with six felonies and one misdemeanor, including two counts of arson, assault with a dangerous weapon, and domestic violence. His court appearance is scheduled for April 24.
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