Seven Songkran revellers injured in gun attack

Seven Songkran revellers injured in gun attack

Seven Songkran revellers, including teenagers and a young woman, were shot and injured in a gun attack in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district on Thursday night.

The attack took place in front of the Sumo Thaweesap motorcycle spare-parts shop on Liap Khlong Thawi Watthana Road, said Pol Lt Col Pongsak Chuchuad, investigation chief at Nong Khlang Phlu police station, who was reported at around 10pm on Thursday.

Songyot Khiewdam, 27, a witness, told police that he and his friends were drinking in front of the shop when they saw a group of teenagers, who was celebrating Songkran festival in the area, running past the shop as if they were fleeing something at around 9.30pm. Then, several gunshots were fired at them, hitting six people in the group. The gunman was a thin teenager, about 165-170cm tall, said Mr Songyot.

The seven injured people, including young men and a woman, were rushed to nearby hospitals. they were declared safe shortly before noon on Saturday.

So far, police have identified four of them — Jetsada Duangta, 20, Suwat Saengchan, 28 and Jirawat Klomduangchan, 19, and Suwan Boonchu, 23. The other three were two teenagers aged 17-18 and a 14-year-old boy. 

Pol Maj Gen Jeeraphat Phumjit, chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 9, said on Saturday that the shooting involved two teen groups from Samut Sakhon’s Krathum Baen district who went to celebrate Songkran on Liap Khlong Thawi Watthana Road. 

The two groups had traded barbs since Thursday afternoon before violence erupted. The gunman intended to shoot Mr Jetsada, one of the injured, but stray bullets hit the six other victims, said Pol Maj Gen Jeeraphat.

Police were hunting the gunman.

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