Teenagers mistakenly attack park officials at Ngao Waterfall
Eighteen teenagers riding nine motorbikes launched an attack intended for rivals from another district but mistakenly targeted park officials at Ngao Waterfall in Ranong, causing injuries to two officers. The incident unfolded when a 16 year old gunman confessed following the attack, which occurred yesterday, December 10, at 9.30pm.
The chaos erupted when officers from Ngao Waterfall National Park were returning from a forest patrol. As they neared their accommodation, they noticed a large group of teenagers, numbering 18 and riding nine motorbikes, approaching.
To avoid confrontation, the officers hastened back to their headquarters, located only 2 kilometres away. However, the teenagers mistakenly assumed the officers were their rivals from Ban Tha Chang, Ngao, prompting them to pursue the officers.
Upon reaching the entrance of the park, one of the teenagers fired a gun and threw a ping-pong bomb at the officers. Fortunately, the bullets only struck one officer’s right calf, while shrapnel from the bomb injured the legs of the other officer.
The wounded officers quickly sought help from their colleagues at the park and were immediately taken to Ranong Hospital for treatment. The teenagers fled the scene on their motorbikes, but the motive behind the attack was soon revealed as a case of mistaken identity.
“The park officials had no connection to the ongoing conflict between two youth groups from different districts,” a police spokesperson clarified, highlighting the inadvertent nature of the attack. The groups, residing 10 kilometres apart, had been engaged in a series of retaliatory incidents involving the use of explosives.
Teenager attack
Earlier today, police, alongside the investigation team and forensic units, examined the crime scene at the park’s entrance. They recovered three bullet casings from the ground, which were collected as evidence.
Senior police officers, including the Commissioner of Ranong, ordered an immediate investigation to track down the perpetrators.
The police investigation led to the discovery of CCTV footage from a nearby petrol station on Phetkasem Road, capturing the teenagers as they refuelled their motorbikes before the attack. The footage was posted online by the police commissioner, urging the teenagers to surrender.
By the afternoon, the teenagers, aged between 16 and 18, began turning themselves in, bringing along the motorbikes used in the assault.
The two key suspects, an 18 year old rider and a 16 year old passenger who fired the gun, confessed to the police. They were charged with attempted murder.
However, the investigation faced challenges as the suspects initially concealed the whereabouts of the weapon used in the attack. The gun, a modified blank-firing pistol capable of shooting real bullets, was reportedly purchased through an online platform.
Blank pistol
Detectives relentlessly pursued leads from the suspects’ confessions to locate the weapon. It wasn’t until 6pm that the 16 year old gunman revealed that he had entrusted the firearm to his 18 year old accomplice, who had hidden it at a rented house in Bang Non, Ranong.
Despite initial searches yielding no results, the return to the property at 8pm led to the discovery of the black plastic box containing the blank pistol and several .380 calibre bullets.
“At first, I was scared to admit having the gun because I feared additional charges,” the 18 year old explained when questioned by the police. Ultimately, the teenager confessed to avoid implicating his uninvolved friends, reported KhaoSod.
The police took the suspects and the weapon back to the Ranong Provincial Police headquarters by 8.50pm, where the investigation continued.
The pair faced charges of attempted murder, while the remaining 16 teenagers were under scrutiny to determine their involvement in the incident. Child protection officers were also involved to ensure proper legal proceedings regarding the involvement of minors in the case.
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