A man who fatally shot four people and wounded a fifth on a marijuana farm in Oklahoma has been sentenced to life in prison.
Chen Wu, 47, pleaded guilty Friday to the November 2022 shooting as part of a deal. Prosecutors said they thought about seeking the death penalty in the case.
Wu stormed into the farm on Nov. 20, 2022, and demanded $300,000 within 30 minutes, according to investigators. He threatened to kill everyone on site if he didn’t get the money, police said.
A witness said Wu held the group hostage at gunpoint before eventually killing four people: Quirong Lin, Chen He Chun, Chen He Qiang and Fang Hui Lee. He also wounded a fifth person, Yi Fei Lin. Wu and all of the victims were Chinese citizens.
After the shooting, Wu fled to South Florida but authorities captured him there on Nov. 22. He was extradited back to Oklahoma and charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault, all of which he eventually pleaded guilty to.
Wu was involved with the marijuana farm in Hennessy, Okla., about 50 miles north of Oklahoma City. At an extradition hearing, he said he feared returning to Oklahoma and claimed the others involved had ties to organized crime.
The farm had obtained a license to grow marijuana, but it was operating illegally, according to authorities. Medical marijuana is legal in the state, but recreational weed remains outlawed.
“This case should serve as a reminder of the dangers surrounding illegal marijuana activity in Oklahoma,” said Kingfisher County District Attorney Tommy Humphries.
With News Wire Services
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