DENVER — A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Tuesday for killing five Senegalese family members in a house fire in 2020.
Kevin Bui pleaded guilty to reduced charges in plea deal for his role in the deadly house fire that happened on Aug. 5, 2020. Bui was one of three teenagers charged in the incident, and was the last to be sentenced on Tuesday.
Authorities said around the time of the incident, Bui was robbed while trying to purchase a gun, and mistakenly thought he had tracked down his stolen iPhone to the family’s home. Authorities said he plotted revenge for the alleged theft but neglected to confirm he was targeting the correct person who stole his phone.
Five members of what authorities described as a hardworking, extended immigrant family from Senegal were inside the home the night it was set on fire.
Among those killed in the fire were 29-year-old Djibril Diol, his wife 23-year-old Adja Diol, and their 22-month-old daughter, Khadija. Djibril 25-year-old sister Hassan Diol and her 7-month-old daughter, Hawa also died. The family that owned and rented the house to the Diol family managed to escape.
More on the deadly house fire and sentencing.
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