Street shootout shakes Phuket: Teen hospitalised, passerby catches stray bullet drama

A teenager yesterday was hospitalised after a tumultuous shootout on a street near Saphan Hin, Phuket. A passerby suffered a shoulder wound whilst the teen had a head injury.

Phuket Police received a report of a shootout near the Phuket Marine police chief’s residence on Phuket Road yesterday, January 3, at 3.10am. Police found a damaged glass louvre in one of the windows and a hole caused by a bullet in the curtain.

The bullet was found inside the house, lying on the floor. The police chief was out when the incident occurred.

Vachira Phuket Hospital informed that a 17 year old had been admitted with a head injury caused by a gunshot. The teen and another local reached the hospital with a shoulder wound. Two gangs were involved in a shootout near Bang Yai Canal at Saphan Hin.

One of the gangs waited at the canal whilst the other group, from Koh Siray, came on motorcycles. The two gangs knew one another. The cause of the incident was apparently that they didn’t like the way each casted glances at the other.

According to police, one of the gang members on motorbikes fired a shot at the other group from Bang Yai, after which the group who sat by the canal sped off on their bikes. The two rival gangs began a chase during which one of the shots fired hit the police chief’s home, reported Phuket News.

The 17 year old teen was injured and a resident, who suffered a shoulder injury, got caught in the shootout.

The police apprehended two members of the gang from Koh Siray after tracking them via CCTV images. They were found in Wichit at 7pm yesterday, January 3. Police seized a homemade weapon as well as a shotgun shell casing.

The two perpetrators were taken to Phuket Police Station. They claimed that the Bang Yai gang fired at them first and that they only shot back at the others once.

The two Koh Siray members were charged with attempted murder.

The investigation is ongoing.