Police trainee accidentally shoots and kills himself and relative
A police trainee in the northern province of Chiang Mai accidentally shot and killed himself and a relative while drinking alcohol and playing with a firearm on December 29, last year.
Officers from Fang Police Station were called to a house in the Mae Ka sub-district, Fang district, Chiang Mai, to investigate the accidental fatal shooting. Upon arrival, officers found the body of the 28 year old police trainee, Pathomsub, and his severely injured relative, 37 year old Non Wanitroj.
Non was rushed to hospital, but the medical team was unable to save him. A 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene.
According to a report on Channel 7, Pathomsub and Non had been drinking alcohol together at the house. Pathomsub reportedly retrieved his gun to show it to his relative.
He then pointed the firearm at his head and fired, mistakenly believing it was unloaded. The bullet passed through his right temple and exited through his left, striking his relative, who was seated next to him.
Pathomsub was a police cadet and a trainee at Chai Prakarn Police Station in the province. It is suspected that the gun he used belonged to the police force.
In a related incident, an 18 year old man in the Isaan province of Buriram accidentally shot himself while travelling to meet a suspected gang rival. He reportedly attempted to attack his rival with a homemade gun and a ping-pong bomb but ended up shooting himself in the leg.
Another accidental shooting was reported three days ago, when an 18 year old student accidentally shot himself in the groin, which ultimately resulted in his death.
Last month, a similar tragedy occurred when a man accidentally shot himself while cleaning his firearm. His girlfriend initially thought the sound was from a hairdryer explosion and was shocked to discover his fatal injury.
In December of last year, two Thai boys fatally shot a girl in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The perpetrators were arrested and confessed that they mistook her for a rival due to the darkness of the road where the shooting took place.
