Lake Superior Chapter of SCI donates $50,000 for survivors of Nov. 21 shooting
Survivors Willers and Hesebeck on hand for even
BY BILL THORNLEY
Spooner Advocate
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 06th, 2005 11:57:21 AM

HINKLEY, Minn.-- It was a bittersweet moment for Terry Willers and Lauren Heseback, the two survivors of the Rice Lake deer hunting massacre on Nov. 21 that gained local, regional and national attention.
They were making their first public appearance since the shooting which left five dead and three seriously wounded.

On one hand, they were attending the Saturday Hunters Banquet at Grand Casino Hinkley put on by the Lake Superior Chapter of Safari Club International. Lake Superior SCI was to present Willers and Hesebeck with a check for $50,000, money collected through donations of cans, reflecting the huge amount of support throughout the region.

On the other hand, however, the event was certain to bring back memories for the duo of that hellish day in the woods near Birchwood when members of a deer hunting camp encountered an allegedly trespassing Hmong hunter named Chai Vang.

On Nov. 21, Vang went to Sawyer County from St. Paul to hunt on public land. Apparently lost, he climbed a tree stand on heavily posted private property just west of Deer Lake.

Terry Willers noticed Vang in the stand about noon, and, using a walkie-talkie, reportedly asked others in his group if Vang had permission to be there. Told no, Willers reportedly asked Vang to leave. Willers’ companions soon after arrived at the scene from a nearby hunting cabin.

Allegedly, Vang left the tree stand and started to walk away, but after 40 yards he turned and began firing at the other hunters. Lauren Hesebeck radioed back to the camp, and more hunters arrived on ATVs.
Under fire, some of Willers’ group took the wounded away, leaving others who were already dead. Hunters arriving on a third ATV, including Willer’s daughter, Jessica, were shot and killed.

Five of the group died on site and three others were seriously injured. One of the injured hunters, Denny Drew, died from his wounds late on Nov. 22. Vang is expected to go on trial for the murders in September.
Lake Superior Chapter President Troy Link and Darin Wahlean of SCI welcomed Willers and Hesebeck to huge applause from the estimated 450-plus sportsmen in attendance on Saturday night.

Link told the audience that a check for $50,000 would be presented, adding that a full 70 percent of money generated by the chapter stays with the chapter for such humanitarian efforts.

“Thank you so much for the sincere support,” said Hesebeck following the check presentation, which received yet another round of loud applause. “Hopefully working through SCI, maybe we can change hunting laws and regulations so something like this doesn’t happen again.”

“I’d like to thank SCI,” added Willers. “I’d like to thank everyone who came together in this tragedy.”
Link pointed out that the check represented money the SCI-Lake Superior Chapter collected for the victims and survivors of the tragedy through multi-chapter support and donations at more than 40 locations.