Fresno shooting puts Hmong murder-suicides in spotlight

The death of a woman at the hands of her estranged partner in Fresno has reopened conversation about murder-suicides preceded by domestic violence, a subject that begs to be better addressed, according to Merced women’s advocates.

On Tuesday, the Fresno Bee reported, a 43-year-old man identified as Neng Moua killed a woman with whom he had fathered five children at a downtown Fresno medical building office before turning the shotgun on himself. According to the Bee’s report, there was history of domestic violence, and Moua and the victim were scheduled to be in court in May for a custody hearing.

Paula Yang, marketing and program coordinator at Merced’s Healthy House, said Tuesday’s tragedy shed light on a problem that has been a “shush” matter in many ethnic communities, especially the Hmong.

Yang has been an advocate for Hmong women in the Fresno and Merced areas for more than 15 years. During that time, she has been asked to provide support and guidance to families in 20 murder-suicide cases within Hmong communities in California and other states.

“As tragic as this is, this is an opportunity to rise up and address this issue,” Yang said Wednesday.

Yang believes many domestic violence cases in the Hmong community go unreported. People don’t realize this is a problem until extreme cases such as Tuesday’s make headlines, she said.

In the Hmong community, divorce and separation are frowned upon. When families start falling apart, frustration can lead to abuse, Yang explained. And in respect for the culture, women are taught to stay quiet, she added.

Merced police Capt. Bimley West said members of ethnic groups tend to be more guarded and many times are less likely to cooperate with law enforcement in domestic violence investigations. This is especially true for older generations, he said.

“Many times it comes down to culture,” West said. “We’ve noticed that in many Asian cultures, victims are a little more fearful.”

They believe in resolving problems internally, West said, with victims often preferring to bring such issues to a group’s cultural council or leadership body.

West did point out that younger generations are beginning to open up and be more cooperative with police.

According to the National Institute of Justice, common characteristics of murder-suicides in families include prior history of domestic violence; access to a gun; threats; and prior history of poor mental health. In most cases, the perpetrator will show obsessive, possessive and jealous behavior.

Candice-Adam Medefind, Healthy House director, said the nonprofit hosts “healing circles” on Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m., where members of Merced’s Hmong community gather to debrief and brainstorm on how to prevent issues such as domestic violence.

Adam-Medefind and Yang said most of those who attend are women but encouraged men to join. Yang said she feels there is a need for male leaders to take charge in addressing domestic violence.

Healthy House will help raise funds for the Moua children. The agency has teamed with Fresno station KSEQ (97.1 FM) to collect funds from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Donations can be dropped off at the Healthy House office on 301 W. 18th St., Suite 101, or the radio station at 1110 E. Olive Ave. in Fresno.

For more information, call the Healthy House office at (209) 724-0102.

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Fresno shooting puts Hmong murder-suicides in spotlight."