Police have arrested three of five college students believed involved in the fatal shooting of a student from a rival college helping his mother in Bangkok’s Bung Kum district last month.
The trio are - Kritsada Narapong, 21, who allegedly plotted the attack; Saharat Dongprachan, 20, who allegedly drove the motorcycle for the shooter; and Pathipan Charoenchaikul, 21, who allegedly pointed out the target.
They were detained separately during searches at 13 locations in Bangkok and surrounding provinces on Nov 20, Pol Maj Gen Ittiphol Atchariyapradit, investigation commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told reporters on Wednesday.
The three suspects and two other students from Pathumwan Institute of Technology were named in arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court on Nov 19 for colluding in the murder of Kamolwit Suwannathat, a fourth-year student at Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-Ok Uthenthawai Campus.
Kamolwit, 24, was shot four times and died in front of Wangthong House housing estate on Navamind Road around 10pm on Oct 12 while helping his mother sell radna noodles.
Alleged gunman Prasit Yonphon, 23, and Jiraphat Phetcharak, 21, were still at large.
Police linked the shooting to a series of violent brawls between students from the two colleges.
On Sept 25 this year, a 25-year-old former student of Pathumwan Institute of Technology was gunned down by rival students in front of a house in Muang district, Pathum Thani.
The suspects in the Oct 12 shooting might believe Kamolwit was involved, and took revenge on him, Pol Maj Gen Itthipol said.
During interrogation the three suspects denied killing the victim, but admitted they were involved in the offence, he said.