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Families Shocked After Big Lake Murder-Suicide

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Mar 28, 2009 10:55 pm US/Central

Families Shocked After Big Lake Murder-Suicide

Reporting
Maya Nishikawa
BIG LAKE, Minn. (WCCO) ― An argument led to a shooting, hostage standoff, and suicide Saturday. According to Sherburne County authorities, a man shot another man in the head and abducted a woman before killing himself as police closed in.

All of it left family members stunned.

The Sherburne County Sheriff's Department says 42-year-old Peter Tek shot and killed his girlfriend's 27-year-old son Savang Sath.

Shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday morning, a 911 call came from the Big Lake home Tek shared with his girlfriend, her son, and three others. The caller said Sath had been shot.

"It was scary, and they wouldn't tell us what was going on this morning," said neighbor Kamille Garding.

When officers arrived they found Sath dead. He had been shot in the head twice. A witness said Sath and Tek had been arguing. Sath confronted Tek for allegedly assaulting Sath's mother.

Authorities said Tek drove away holding his girlfriend hostage. While on the run from police, Tek called his son and told him he'd just killed his girlfriend's son.

"I said, 'Dad are you serious?' He starts crying and then I start crying," explained Phath Bauer, Tek's 18 year-old son. "I said, 'Dad, what are you going to do?' He said, 'I'm going to kill myself.' And I was like, 'Dad, no!'"

Deputies spotted Tek and chased him on westbound Interstate 94. They used stop sticks to end the pursuit, but Tek refused to let his hostage go. St. Cloud police negotiated with him for the next two hours.

"He did finally release the hostage at 5:41 a.m. and then took his own life," said Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott.

Tek's two teenage children knew their father was going through rough times. He recently lost his job of 20 years. They had no idea he had been pushed so far.

"He's not the man you see on TV. He's not a criminal, not a killer. Something had to push him over the edge," said Bauer.

Tek had not always been in his children's lives, but over the last year they became close again.

"He was nicer and kinder. I can't see him doing anything like that," added Sireatha Tek. "I never thought my dad would do that."

Tek's girlfriend suffered head injuries during the assault. She had to go the hospital, but is in stable condition.

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