Notorious criminal Minh Nghia Vuong shoots mother of his ex-girlfriend to death in Zwijndrecht, Netherlands

Michel Wandzia
born: 1957
shot to death: January 21, 2023
Place of residence: Zwijndrecht
Origin: perpetrator: Vietnam, victim: Netherlands
Children: -
Perpetrator: Minh Nghia Vuong "Lucky" (49 years old)

Perhaps this act is not an honor killing, and perhaps this case does not belong in this archive. On Saturday, Jan. 21, around 2:10 p.m., 66-year-old Michel Wandzia and her 38-year-old daughter were walking across the parking lot at Walburg shopping center in Zwijndrecht. There they got into an argument with Minh Nghia Vuong, the daughter's ex-boyfriend. A witness states that he saw the daughter running away and that the man chased her. He then pulled out a gun and shot in the air. He then tried to force the daughter to walk with him to his car. He then shot first the daughter and then her mother. As they lay on the ground, he shot at them again at close range.

After the shooting, he ran to his car, a BMW, and drove full speed down the bike path against traffic. Michel Wandzia died at the scene from her injuries. The daughter was reportedly still approachable and was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Minh Nghia Vuong allegedly made regular death threats against them, was known to be dangerous with firearms and had a long criminal record. In 2017, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for the robbery of a cash courier in Zoetermeer in December 2015. There he and two co-perpetrators captured 260,000 euros at gunpoint. Because of the stalking and death threats, the woman would repeatedly repair the relationship out of fear. At the police station, she filed a report against Minh Nghia Vuong.

The police circulated the following search report: "The suspect is 1.70 tall, has lightly toned skin, a normal build and short black hair. At the time of the shooting, he was wearing a dark jacket model parka, under which he was wearing a hooded garment. Vuong is also known by his nickname 'Lucky'." Because he is on the run and firearms dangerous, police advise not to approach him themselves but to call police immediately if anyone sees him.

After a weeks-long search, police apprehended fugitive Minh Nghia Vuong Saturday afternoon, February 25, around 12:30 p.m. on the Ketelbrug in Schiedam.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.