Early morning teen violence shocks Pattaya with gunshots and explosives
Pattaya was roused in the early hours of this morning by an incident of teen violence erupting onto the streets. The shocking incident took place at 4am today near the Sukhumvit Pattaya Karn Chang garage in the Naklua sub-district of Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district.
A group of adolescents took to guns and explosives to settle disputes. Two Thai men were injured in the incident and were promptly taken to Bang Lamung Hospital.
According to Bang Lamung Police, the two victims were 18 year old Siriwat Saksri, and a 14 year old boy whose identity has not been revealed due to his minor status. Siriwat took a bullet in his left abdomen, whereas the younger boy sustained a grazing gunshot wound on his left torso.
Providing the account of the shocking event, the 14 year old boy said the incident happened when they were confronted by about 10 other teenagers on motorcycles. At that time, he was sharing a motorbike ride with Siriwat, who sat at the back, and his girlfriend, who was riding in the front.
As the confrontational group engaged in a furious pursuit, one of the group members drew a gun, shooting at the terrified trio. As they panicked and attempted to escape, explosives were hurled in their direction, causing a symphony of deafening, terrifying noises that perforated the stillness of the early morning surroundings. Unfortunately, before the young boy could muster help from the locals, the antagonistic band of teenagers fled the scene, reported The Pattaya News.
Looking into the matter, police have dispatched an investigative team to undertake a thorough onsite examination. Along with probing physical evidence, they will also delve into the visuals captured by the CCTV cameras lining the route of this dreadful incident.
Police believe that the victims and the suspects share a history and previous grievances.
There have been several instances of violent clashes between these adolescent rivalry groups in the Pattaya region. It appears that these fights have started to spill from confined localities into the streets.
