DENVER (AP) — A Colorado man received a 60-year prison sentence on Tuesday for igniting a house fire that resulted in the deaths of five members of an extended Senegalese family. This tragic event has deeply impacted the lives of the victims’ friends and relatives, both in the United States and in Senegal.
Kevin Bui, now 20, was the final of three teenagers charged in the August 5, 2020 fire to be sentenced after pleading guilty to reduced charges in a plea deal. Authorities revealed that Bui, who had been recently robbed while attempting to purchase a gun, mistakenly believed he had located his stolen iPhone at the residence and meticulously planned his revenge. However, he failed to verify that he was targeting the actual thief.
Instead of the intended target, inside the home were members of three immigrant families who were working hard to support their loved ones back in Senegal and had no connection to the robbery. The family who owned the house managed to escape, but all members of two connected families who were renting from them perished— Djibril Diol, Adja Diol, Khadija Diol, Hassan Diol, and Hawa Diol.
During the sentencing hearing, Hamady Diol, the father of Djibril and Hassan Diol, expressed his devastation from Senegal, stating how he now needs pills to sleep after losing five family members.
The victims were discovered on the first floor of the home near the front door, indicating they attempted to flee the fire. Djibril Diol, an engineer beloved for his assistance to fellow immigrants, was heard directing people to safety before his demise.
Adja Diol and Hassan Diol, both Amazon employees who alternated shifts to care for each other’s children, were striving to provide for their families in Senegal and aspired to pursue nursing education.
At the time of the fire, Hassan Diol’s husband, Amadou Beye, was in Senegal awaiting a visa to reunite with his spouse and meet their newborn baby.
At the hearing, Beye labeled Bui as a “big terrorist” and expressed his emotional turmoil since the incident. Bui, on the other hand, acknowledged his past ignorance and admitted guilt, highlighting the profound impact on the victims’ families.
One of Bui’s attorneys defended his character, claiming his involvement in arson was uncharacteristic of a respectful young man raised by hard-working Vietnamese immigrants. Bui pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder, and prosecutors recommended a 60-year sentence.
Relatives of the victims reluctantly agreed to the plea deal, believing it to be the best resolution for the lengthy criminal case.
In earlier legal proceedings, Dillon Siebert and Gavin Seymour, two other individuals involved in the fire, received sentences for their roles in the tragedy.
Surveillance footage and investigative efforts ultimately led authorities to identify and arrest Bui and his accomplices, offering some closure to the grieving Senegalese community.
Despite the devastation caused by the fire, the community has come together to support one another and honor the memories of the lives lost.
