Above: John Waveng Her
Photo courtesy of Butte County D.A.’s Office
A Chico man pleaded guilty in Butte County Superior Court this morning to the brutal killing of his wife in a domestic violence shooting last year.
John Waveng Her, 53, of Chico, stood before Judge Michael Deems today and after entering his guilty plea to first-degree willful, deliberate, and premeditated murder, told the judge he was sorry for the pain his actions caused his family.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said the September 27, 2023 shooting occurred at approximately 6:10 p.m. at a family member’s home in the 2700 block of White Avenue in Chico. It was there that Her, his wife of thirty years Xe Lor, 50, and family members had gathered to discuss the couple’s separation and possible divorce.
Lor was leaving the family meeting when Her pulled a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from under his jacket and shot Lor twice at close range in the driveway. Her then attempted to shoot himself in the head with the same pistol but the round only grazed the side and top of his head. He fell to the ground but held onto the gun and shot at his now prone wife at least twice more. Family members ran to Lor’s aid, took the handgun from Her, and held him until officers arrived. A short time later at the hospital, Lor succumbed to her wounds.
Chico Police investigators collected surveillance video from outside the home that showed a large portion of the incident. During a search of the scene, police found the semi-automatic handgun and five expended .45-caliber casings on the ground.
Ramsey said Her had previously been convicted for threatening his family in 2021 which resulted in the loss of his right to possess any firearms for ten years. Lor had recently moved out of the family home and was petitioning the Butte County Superior Court for a temporary domestic violence restraining order just eight days before the shooting. Lor leaves behind seven children, the youngest being only nine years old. Three of those children, including the nine-year-old, witnessed the shooting.
Ramsey said Her faces twenty-five years to life in prison. He remains in jail until his sentencing on April 3, 2024.
