Suspect in Mont. Shooting: Victim Laughed at Me

And injured victim doesn't know her parents died in the shooting
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 31, 2015 10:45 AM CDT
Suspect in Mont. Shooting: Victim Laughed at Me
Jesus Deniz Mendoza (A.K.A Jesus Deniz), age 18 of Worland, Wyo.   (Park County, Wyoming, Sheriff’s Office via AP)

An 18-year-old Wyoming man accused of robbing and shooting three members of a family told investigators he opened fire after one of the victims laughed at him, an FBI agent said in a court filing yesterday. Jason Shane, 51, and Tana Shane, 47, died in the Wednesday shooting in the town of Pryor, Montana. Their daughter, 26-year-old Jorah Shane, was shot in the back when she tried to run, the woman's aunt, Ada Shane, said. In an FBI interview, Jesus Deniz, also known as Jesus Deniz Mendoza, acknowledged shooting three people with a .22 caliber rifle and fleeing in their car. "Deniz told the interviewing agents that he shot the victims because he was getting tired of waiting around, and because the daughter had laughed at him," the statement said. Deniz is being held in Park County, Wyo. A judge's warrant would begin the process of returning Deniz to Montana to face charges. Deniz was due in court today.

Jorah told relatives her mother drove by a young man parked on the side of the road who told her he had run out of fuel, Ada said. Tana went by her house, picked up her husband and daughter, and they drove back to the stranded car, per Ada, where the man pulled a gun and demanded money. Tana told her daughter in their Native American language to run. Jorah said she started running then heard bullets whizzing by her head. She managed to flag another car and flee with the shooter still firing at her. Jorah didn't know as of yesterday that her parents had been killed, Ada said: "Last night before she went in, she told everyone to go look for her mom, she's hiding in the field." The aunt said relatives have kept the hospital room's television off and she doesn't know how they will break the news to her. (More Montana stories.)

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