This is the horrific moment a 40-year-old mom from Pennsylvania attempted to shoot her ex-husband’s teenage nephew, moments after shooting her two school-aged sons while they slept in their beds.
Trinh Nguyen will now spend the rest of her life in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of both of her sons, nine-year-old Nelson and 13-year-old Jeffrey in May 2022.
Police revealed how she had planned their murders for more than a week before carrying out the shocking slaughter in a sick revenge plot against her former husband.
Earlier this week, Judge Raymond F. McHugh sentenced Nguyen to two life terms without the possibility of parole for killing the boys and the attempted murder of the teenager.
Newly released video footage sees Trinh Nguyen attempting to kill her teenage nephew after shooting her two sons
Her gun suddenly jams allowing Gianni Melchiondo, 19, to wrestle it from her, saving his own life
Trinh Nguyen, 40, will spend the rest of her life in prison as she serves consecutive life sentences for killing her two sons, Jeffrey, 13, and Nelson, 9,
Nelson, 9, left, and Jeffrey Tini, 13, right, were shot while they slept. They died four days later
First Assistant District Attorney Jen Schorn said the crime is one of those most horrific she has ever had to deal with
Minutes after the shooting of the boys in their beds, Nguyen could be seen outside the home where she attempted to shoot dead the teen.
Security footage sees the pair wrestling as Gianni Melchiondo, 19, attempted to free the gun from Nguyen who fired twice.
The video sees Nguyen attempt to shoot, but the gun never fired and Melchiondo was able to disarm her.
Incredibly, two of the chambers of the gun were empty when she attempted to shoot the teen dead meaning he was saved from what would have been almost certain death.
Melchiondo’s mother, who is the aunt to the young boys Jeffrey and Nelson, testified in court: ‘I thank the Lord all the time that the gun misfired.’
The negotiated plea and sentence ‘ensures that the defendant will die within the four walls of a correctional facility’ for her unfathomable actions, First Assistant District Attorney Jen Schorn said following the hearing.
‘I mean thank goodness for the nephew that the gun did malfunction or she didn’t do it right or what have you and and there’s video that exists she was captured kind of trying to shoot at him,’ Schorn told Law & Crime during an interview on Friday
‘The [jamming of the gun] allowed the nephew to intervene and disarm her and then she still tried to convince him the gun was not loaded.
‘We know for a fact had Gianni not acted he would have suffered a fatal gunshot wound and one only knows who else she would have killed before attempting to take her own life.’
Both boys were transported to the hospital following the shooting but died four days later
Pictures of the two boys were shown in court in specially prepared slideshow in which they could be seen together and smiling
Following the shootings on the morning of May 2, 2022, Upper Makefield Township Police rushed to the home after reports of an armed subject.
Police officers checked Nguyen’s house to find the boys gravely wounded in their beds with gunshot wounds to their heads.
Both boys were transported to the hospital but eventually died four days later.
Nguyen’s sons had been on life support before being pronounced dead at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The pair had been kept alive despite doctors’ grim prognosis so that their organs could be donated to those in need.
Hours after the shootings, police found Nguyen inside her minivan parked at a nearby church. She was immediately taken into custody.
Detectives found .38-caliber ammunition together with packages of heroin, some of which she had consumed in an attempt to kill herself.
A note was located on the dashboard read: ‘Please call 911! My children are Dead in their bed at 119 Timber Ridge Rd 18940’
Detectives searched the home and discovered a handwritten will dated one week before the shooting.
Nguyen shot her only two sons as they slept in the family home in affluent Upper Makefield
Nguyen acted premeditatedly when she carried out the killings of 13-year-old Jeffrey, right, and Nelson, 9, left,
A .38-caliber revolver was also located in front of the home.
Speaking to Law & Crime District Attorney Schorn said the woman had convinced herself she needed to kill the young boys.
‘She took issue with with her one son saying she feared he was going to turn out to be like his father which was completely just senseless and ridiculous while she said her other son was too naïve and good for this world so she wanted to take his life to spare him,’ Schorn explained.
‘She was facing eviction and made it seem like she was facing poverty when in fact she was pretty comfortable financially following the divorce but she just wanted to create this false narrative to justify the most horrendous crime and quite frankly one of the worst I’ve ever seen.’
Bucks County and Upper Makefield Detectives found that Nguyen had plotted the murders and had left a handwritten will that instructed the recipient of what to do with both her and her sons remains.
DA Schorn said Nguyen blamed others for the problems in her life, including the imminent eviction from the Timber Ridge home where she was living following a dispute over rent with her ex-husband.
Trinh Nguyen pictured with her two slain sons and her ex-husband Ed Tini. Nguyen revealed how she penned a note a week prior describing what she wanted done with the kids’ ashes
Upon tracking down Nguyen at the parking lot of Washington Crossing Methodist Church less than four hours after the murder, authorities said Nguyen appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
Church staff alerted authorities after seeing a wanted bulletin issued beforehand. Weintraub said Nguyen appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time of her arrest
‘It’s clear our evidence showed that this defendant had that wickedness of disposition that she had made these plans,’ Schorn said.
‘She wrote a manifesto laying out what she was going to do, and you could see throughout the hate she had for others and the people she blamed.’
The letter also instructed its recipient what to do with her own remains as well, confirming cops’ previous suspicions that the mom had planned to take her own life once the deed was done.
Family and friends who attended the court earlier this week gave emotional impact statements detailing how their lives have been affected by the deaths of the two young boys, described as caring and fun-loving, and loved by all who knew them.
Detectives searched the home and came across a handwritten will dated one week before the shooting
The boys were shown in court in a specially prepared slideshow in which they could be seen smiling together.
DA Schorn said the entire family had felt immense grief following the killings.
‘You just saw the ripple effect of the grief. Layer upon layer upon layer through family members, of the community – it’s just heartbreaking.
‘They showed such strength and dignity coming to court and offering impact statements,’ Schorn said.
‘We can’t diminish the pain but at least we were able to get justice for Nelson and Jeffrey and their cousin who survived the [murder] attempt.’