VTA shooter owed his colleague thousands of dollars before the fatal incident

SAN JOSE, California. – The VTA bus driver accused of killing a co-worker in San Jose hid behind his public defender during his first court appearance Wednesday.

The defendant, 33-year-old Duc Minh Bui, did not make a plea during the minutes-long reading of the charges.

“The charge is murder with the use of a firearm. And there are several aggravating circumstances,” said Michael Gilman, assistant district attorney for Santa Clara County.

Prosecutors said Bui went to the Chaboya bus depot on South 7th Street on Sunday to pay off thousands of dollars in gambling debts to fellow passenger Regulus Teotico. Prosecutors said Bui arrived armed.

“He had three firearms registered to him, so that's correct,” Gilman said, adding that investigators are “looking into” whether the gun used in the crime was legally registered.

According to court documents, a witness heard the two men talking outside their cars. Then three shots were fired.

According to investigators, Bui shot Teotico three times and then sped out of the VTA yard in a white Nissan Versa.

“You would think that if you come armed, you would use that weapon. And that would suggest premeditated murder,” said Michael Cardoza, legal expert at KTVU. “Was there an argument and was it so heated that the defendant felt he had to defend himself? Then that would fall into the realm of manslaughter.”

Cardoza said surveillance videos recovered from the crime scene could influence the outcome of the case.

“The world has changed. And this video will speak volumes,” Cardoza said.

Investigators said the footage shows Bui pulling a gun from a bag and shooting Teotico. Officers found three .40-caliber rounds at the scene.

“This indictment does not allege that the murder was premeditated. We are, of course, investigating that. And if the evidence comes up, we will amend the indictment if necessary,” Gilman said.

Bui is charged with murder and use of a firearm. If convicted on the current charges, he could face 50 years to life in prison.

He is due to appear in court again on December 10.

Jesse Gary is a reporter in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram at @jessegontv and on Facebook at @JesseKTVU.