One teen dead after night of violence
PHUKET CITY: One teenager was left dead on May 20 after a night of gang threats and retaliations ended in a fatal shooting. The 17-year-old victim, Kanchit “Phai” Trupsin, was found at 3 am outside Muslim Puenrak restaurant on Anuphas Phuket Kan Rd.
According to testimony given to police, the incident began when a passenger riding pillion on a motorbike drove past a group of about 30 youths in Saphan Hin and pointed a gun at them. Although he did not fire the weapon, the group of 30 gave chase.
They caught up to the two near a funeral party on nearby Soi Saphan Ruam 8, where the two joined with a group of about 10 of their friends.
The larger gang approached the funeral party and fired a shot from a pen gun into the crowd, but did not hit anyone. The gang of 30 then drove away and scattered.
The funeral party, angered by the shot fired at them, mounted their motorbikes and gave chase. They caught up with one of the youths, K. Kanchit, as he was riding pillion on a bike. The attackers shot him twice, once through the neck and once in the shoulder, before racing off.
Pol Lt Col Somkid Boonrat, leader of the Phuket Police Investigation team, arrested a 15-year-old suspect at 10 am the next morning and found a homemade 12mm pen gun in his possession. He admitted to being the driver of the motorbike, but claims it was another youth who shot and killed K. Kanchit.
“The two groups are known enemies and they have a history of fighting together often. The shooter we are looking for has the nickname “Joy”. He is 20 years old and we know where he lives in Phuket, so we hope to arrest him soon,” Lt Col Somkid told the Gazette.
“In this case we will charge both the shooter and the driver. The charges will be conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a gun and ammunition without a permit, and taking a weapon into a public area,” he said.
