Police investigating Monday’s shooting of three family members by a lone shooter at the family’s house in the quiet residential housing estate in Phuket have confirmed that the shooting took place due to a dog barking.
When police arrived at the scene, Somchai Kieingon Mondaychan, 42, a traditional Thai dance teacher and a member of a dance troupe, was found bleeding profusely and had been shot in the left side of his neck.
His wife, Urarat, 43, had been shot twice in her lower back, once in an arm and once in a leg, and had a broken finger on her right hand.
Their son, Thanawat, 20, had been shot in his right leg and in his lower back.
They all survived the event.
All three were rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town.
Phuket Provincial Police Commander, Maj. Gen. Teeraphol Thipjaroen, confirmed that a dog barking was the motivation behind the shooting.
Lt. Kwansirinat Thairat, of the Wichit Police. questioned Thanawat at Vachira Phuket Hospital. He confirmed that he and his mother and father had a meal together at 10:30pm when their neighbor, Panpakorn Suwannarit, 36, walked into the house and told them to get their dog to stop barking. He then left the house.
Thawawat tried to stop the dog barking but Panpakorn appeared in the house again with a gun. He pointed the gun at Urarat first and shot. Thanawat tried to stop Panpakorn but he also got shot.
Somchai shouted to Panpakorn to stop shooting, but he got shot several times too, Maj. Gen. Teeraphol explained.
The cause of the shooting was a dog barking as this made the suspect unhappy. Panpakorn will face a charge of carrying a gun in public and attempted murder.
Story: The Phuket News
