Chaiyaphum festival shooting leaves man blind, police delay charges
Panic spreads among festival-goers
An altercation at an annual festival in Chaiyaphum led to a violent incident on Friday, January 16, when the owner of a BB gun shop allegedly shot the owner of a nearby ear-piercing shop.
The victim suffered severe injuries, including blindness in the right eye. Despite the serious nature of the incident, police have not yet pressed charges against the alleged shooter.
Reports indicate that the BB gun shop owner used a gun with steel pellets to shoot at the ear-piercing shop owner, inflicting severe injuries.
The altercation caused panic among festival-goers, including local residents and students, who fled the scene in fear. At 2pm, reporters visited the scene and spoke with the victim’s girlfriend, who revealed that her partner, Piyawat, was shot in the right eye, resulting in blindness.
He is currently in Chaiyaphum Hospital, awaiting surgery to remove four pellets embedded in his face and neck.
The incident began as Piyawat was piercing ears for customers when loud music from the BB gun shop across the street interrupted his work. He requested that the music be lowered to better communicate with his clients.
The BB gun shop owner approached Piyawat to inquire about the issue, and upon being asked to reduce the volume, he returned to his shop and retrieved a BB gun. He then fired multiple shots, aiming solely at Piyawat’s face. Students waiting for ear piercings narrowly avoided being shot.
In addition to the shooting, the BB gun shop owner allegedly vandalised the ear-piercing shop, scattering earring displays across the floor.
The victim’s girlfriend and others rushed Piyawat to the hospital, where doctors reported that one pellet near his right eye severed the optic nerve, making it unlikely he will regain vision. Four additional pellets require surgical removal in Khon Kaen Hospital.
Subsequently, Piyawat’s girlfriend filed a complaint with Police Lieutenant Chanchon Kiewpairavech of the Mueang Chaiyaphum Police Station, seeking legal action against the BB gun shop owner.
However, police have yet to file charges, pending medical documentation from Chaiyaphum and Khon Kaen hospitals, as reported by KhaoSod.
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