Man shoots former village headman over insult in Kanchanaburi

A man fatally shot a former village headman in Kanchanaburi out of revenge for being insulted in front of his girlfriend. The tragic incident occurred while the victim was helping to repair a roof at his girlfriend’s mother’s house.

Police in Kanchanaburi’s Leaukwan district received a report about the shooting yesterday. The incident took place at a house in Leaukwan subdistrict. The Thai police coordinated with doctors and volunteers from the Pitak Kan Foundation to investigate the scene.

The site of the gruesome murder was a single-storey home, where authorities discovered the body of 54 year old former village headman, Boonmee Yueaim hanging head-down from the roof, with his legs entangled in the metal framework.

Blood had pooled on the floor below. Boonmee had been shot multiple times, once in the neck, once in the back of the head, and twice in the torso. Another individual, 19 year old Thanaphon was shot in the arm and leg and had been rushed to the hospital by locals before the authorities arrived at the scene.

The gunman was identified as Suthat, the boyfriend of the homeowner’s daughter. Following the incident, police apprehended him at a relative’s house nearby and seized the 9mm firearm used in the shooting.

The homeowner, 33 year old Chompoonuch, explained that the deceased had come to help her replace roof tiles damaged by a storm. While Boonmee was on the roof, she was hammering nails in front of the house.

Innocent bystander

Suthat, who was dating her daughter, suddenly opened fire, shooting Boonmee approximately six to seven times in total. Some bullets ricocheted and hit an innocent bystander, Thanaphon, causing serious injuries.

Chompoonuch revealed that Suthat immediately fled the scene after the shooting. She added that she had no prior knowledge of what could have triggered the violent act, as there had been no previous altercation between the two.

Authorities successfully captured Suthat after he attempted to escape. During questioning, Suthat claimed, with a calm expression, that Boonmee had previously insulted and threatened him in front of his girlfriend, which had caused him to harbour deep resentment.

He confessed that he seized this opportunity to exact revenge. Suthat admitted to having served time in prison before and expressed regret over the incident.

Police have charged Suthat with murder and violations under the Firearms Act. He faces the death penalty or prison for up to 20 years. He will be held in custody and face further legal proceedings at Kanchanaburi Provincial Court, reported KhaoSod.