Kanchanaburi Songkran Festival tragedy: 1 dead, 1 injured in shooting

Police arrested two gunmen following a shooting at a Songkran Festival celebration in the central province of Kanchanaburi on April 17. The incident resulted in the death of an 18 year old man and injury to a 17 year old man.

The shooting broke out while many people were splashing water on the road near the War Cemetery in Kanchanaburi at 9.45pm yesterday, April 17. The 18 year old Ratchanon was pronounced dead at the scene. He was shot three times in the head, back, and chest. Another victim, 17 year old Diao, was seriously injured with a shot wound to his right leg.

A witness reported that a group of men arrived at the scene in a grey pickup. They rushed out of the car and immediately attacked another group that was enjoying a water fight on the road.

The offending group started shooting, causing locals and sellers on the street to flee for safety. The attackers attempted to escape via their pickup but some locals tried to stop them, causing the group to scatter in separate directions.

Officers from Mueang Kanchanaburi Police Station arrested the pickup driver after the incident. He claimed that he was not involved in the attack and only drove to the scene because the group wanted to join the water fight.

After further investigation and a security camera check, police arrested two gunmen, 18 year old Sittipon and 21 year old Teeraphat today. Two guns were confiscated, including a 9mm pistol and a .38 calibre. Their motives are still under investigation.

They were charged with possessing and using guns without permission which will result in imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both. Sittipon was also charged with murder and would be punished with the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment from 15 to 20 years.

Unfortunately, this is not the first shooting that occurred during this year’s Songkran celebrations. A similar incident occurred at a Songkran party in front of Onyx bar in the Royal City Avenue (RCA) entertainment venue in Bangkok in the early hours of yesterday.

Four victims were injured after a gunman fired into the ground. The other four victims suffer mild injuries while trying to flee to safety.