Abbot wounded in temple shooting, suspect flees in Loei
Sacred grounds shaken as rivalry turns violent
Two abbots were involved in a late-night altercation that escalated into a shooting at a well-known temple in Chiang Khan. A bullet struck one abbot near his left ear, and the gunman fled in a sedan. Police are currently investigating the incident and pursuing the suspect.
Today, August 5, police from the Chiang Khan Police Station reported an incident yesterday, August 4, at 11.30pm, involving a shooting at Baan Nam Om Temple, Moo 3, That subdistrict, Chiang Khan district, Loei province.
Upon arrival, police found 39 year old Phra Maha Yothin Khemiyo, the abbot of Wat Pa Phatthanaram, with a gunshot wound near his left ear. He was promptly transported to Chiang Khan Hospital.
Also present at the scene was Phra Ajarn Paworn Thewa Dhamma, the head monk of That subdistrict and abbot of Wat Suan Thammathiwat in Chiang Khan.
Initial investigations revealed that Phra Athikan Manop, an abbot from another temple, fired the shot that injured Phra Maha Yothin. The weapon used was an unidentified firearm, and the bullet was fired from behind, striking the left ear area. After the shooting, Phra Athikan Manop fled the scene in a black Mazda 2 sedan with a Loei registration plate.
Before the incident, witnesses reported hearing a loud argument between the two abbots, followed by the sound of a gunshot. Phra Athikan Manop was then seen leaving the monk’s quarters and driving away from the temple.
Officials from Chiang Khan Police Station are actively working to apprehend the suspect and continue to investigate the underlying cause of the altercation, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, a senior monk at a temple in Phuket fatally shot another monk near a restroom before retreating to his quarters.
The shooting took place at 7.10am on June 29 at Khao Rang Temple in Phuket’s Mueang district. Police Lieutenant Jaruwit Joubkwamsuk, an investigator from Mueang Phuket Police Station, received the report and responded promptly to the scene alongside Police Colonel Chatree Chukaew, the station superintendent, accompanied by other officers and an investigation team.
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