Grieving mother pleads for justice after son shot dead by gang

A bed-ridden mother mourns her son, a Grade 8 student, who was shot dead by a gang. She pleads for the police to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators, asserting her son had no conflicts with anyone.

Yesterday, a tragic incident occurred in Nakhon Phanom where three individuals on a motorcycle shot 14 year old Oak in the back of the head, causing him to fall off his motorcycle and lose his life in front of Saharat Rangsarit School on the Sri Songkhram-Tha Dok Kaeo Road.

The murder shocked the community. Oak’s 54 year old mother, Jomsri Unglom, a former assistant village chief from Ban Pak Oon, shared her devastation. She revealed that she has been unable to sleep since she learned of her son’s death at 2am.

“I cried all night, thinking about my youngest son out of five children. I cried until I was in shock and no longer had tears left.”

Jomsri, who is disabled and bed-ridden after a fall in the bathroom two years ago, recounted her last memories with Oak. The evening before his death, Oak cooked a meal for her and, in what seemed like a premonition, asked if she wanted to drink alcohol. He gave her 40 baht, which he had earned from foraging mushrooms with his father and selling them, to buy white liquor to ease her pain.

“My son would sleep beside me every day and cook for me since I became disabled. Our family is poor, and on weekends, he would wash dishes at nearby restaurants and collect rubber scraps to save money for school and eventually bought himself a mobile phone.”

Devastated family

Jomsri expressed her wish for the police to quickly capture the culprits, stating that Oak never had any conflicts with the gang.

“Perhaps they shot the wrong person.”

Oak’s body was sent to Srinakarin Hospital in Khon Kaen for an autopsy and was expected to arrive back around midnight. The family planned to hold a funeral service at Wat Srisomboon in Ban Pak Oon, where Jomsri hoped to see her son’s face one last time, reported KhaoSod.

Oak’s aunt, 56 year old Somphit Nansribut was also in tears.

“I want my nephew’s life back. I raised him since he was a baby. He worked hard, collecting rubber scraps and washing dishes to earn 10 to 20 baht, which he would spend on sweets and drinks for his mother. He didn’t even have a bicycle. His life was full of hardships and sorrow. It’s heartbreaking that his life ended because of these ruthless youths.”