Five months before double homicide, son pleaded guilty to threatening dad with a flare gun

A little over a year ago, Phuoc Hoa Vo walked into his family's dress shop in Jackson Square.

He had been drinking and started yelling at his mother.

When his dad, Hung Vo, stepped in to defend his wife, the then-33-year-old threatened to kill his dad and pointed what appeared to be a gun at him. It was actually a flare gun.

The younger Vo would later plead guilty to a single count of threatening his dad, according to court records obtained by The Spectator.

He was still on probation for that offence on April 26, when the 34-year-old allegedly stabbed both of his parents in what Hamilton police have described as a brutal attack that began inside the family's 13th floor apartment at 20 George St.

After allegedly stabbing his 67-year-old dad inside the apartment, his mom, 61-year-old Moui Khuu, ran into the hallway. Police allege Phuoc Hoa Vo followed and repeatedly stabbed her near the elevator as traumatized neighbours watched and called for him to stop. The attack lasted around five minutes before he turned the knife on himself.

Khuu was pronounced dead upon arrival in hospital. Hung Vo died about half an hour later in surgery. Phuoc Hoa Vo survived surgery.

He remains in hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma, in serious but stable condition. He now faces two charges of second-degree murder.

It remains unclear what led to the stabbing, but what happened inside the family's store - Kimberly Fashion at 116 King St. W. - offers a glimpse into some of the troubles faced by the family.

Phuoc Hoa Vo was born in 1986 in Thailand, where his family lived in a refugee camp after fleeing Vietnam, defence attorney Andrew Confente told the court last November, before the tragic double homicide. He is not representing Vo now.

In 1989, the family, which also includes a younger and older sister, was accepted to Canada through the United Nations refugee resettlement program. He completed high school and took some college courses, but didn't graduate.

In 2006, he was convicted of impaired driving.

When asked whether drinking was a problem for Vo, Confente said it was more situational." At the time of the threatening offence he was using it as a coping mechanism.

The family was facing serious financial issues and had lost their home, Confente said. The father had been dealing with cancer and the family was staying in a motel.

On the day of the threatening, Feb. 13, 2020, there was an argument about finances, he said.

The younger Vo had been drinking for several hours before arriving at the King Street West store around 10 p.m., assistant Crown attorney Steve Kim said during the November hearing.

His father feared for his life when threatened with the gun, and ran to the nearby Sheraton Hotel for help, he said.

When police arrived around 10:05 p.m., Hung Vo was frantic and said his son had a gun and was going to kill him, Kim said.

Police found Phuoc Hoa Vo already handcuffed by security guards at the back of the store.

In a drawer of the cash register, police found two flare guns.

The father also told police he had been similarly threatened with an orange flare gun on Jan. 23, 2020 during an argument at the Hamilton Plaza Hotel, where they were staying.

Confente said that the flare gun belonged to the victim and was kept at the store for protection in Jackson Square.

At the time of the hearing in November the younger Vo was living at a Buddhist temple, but hoped to return home. His father declined to provide a victim impact statement and the parents wanted to accept him back.

The defence and Crown jointly asked for a conditional discharge, with probation.

Ontario Court Justice Martha Zivolak agreed, sentencing him to 15 months probation. He was also given a five year weapons prohibition.

Zivolak addressed Vo directly telling him that if alcohol is an issue he should get help or if he chooses to drink to stay away from others.

Certainly your behaviour was frightening on the day in question and caused your family great upset," she said.

After the sentencing hearing the parents accepted their son back into their home and together they moved into the downtown apartment building four months ago.

The family lived in Burlington until last year.

It remains unclear what happened during the five months between Vo's conviction and the murders. Were they still fighting about finances? Was Vo drinking? Or had new problems arisen?

With both of his parents dead, only Vo can say exactly what happened inside the family apartment, before the violence spilled into the hallway.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Lisa Chambers of the major crime unit at 905-546-3843. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com