A SHOOTOUT at a night restaurant in Songkhla between two groups of customers with being policemen and their friends left one dead and two injured, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Jan. 15).
At 2.40 a.m. this morning Pol. Lt. Col. Marut Nilkosi, deputy inspector of Singha Nakhon police station, and his team rushed to the night restaurant next to Singha Nakhon municipality fire station upon hearing of the firefight.
Initially three people were found to have been injured after the shooting subsided with one of them, Mr. Kachen Kankunchorn, dying on the way to the hospital, while the other two, Mrs. Pranee Nilapan and Dr. Narongsak Ornnom, are undergoing treatment.
Police found six 11mm bullet casings within the restaurant and ten 5.56 M16 rifle bullet casings near a wall outside.
Eyewitnesses said the man who fired the M16 round at the policemen and their friends was already at the restaurant with three friends and his son when the other party came in and sat at a table nearby.
As the policemen’s party was making a lot of noise, the first group told them to quieten down but this triggered a drunken row. A man from the first group then walked to his pickup truck and returned with the M16 rifle and opened fire at the policemen’s group, who also pulled out their firearm and shot back.
One of the policemen who had accompanied his group to the restaurant but did not go in as he was tired and sleepy after Children’s Day activities and asked to rest in the vehicle, said three policemen and three civilians had gone in.
He added that he did not know what triggered the shooting as he was not present there.
Police already know the identity of the man who fired the M16 round at the policemen’s party and will ask the court to issue an arrest warrant for him after collecting evidence.
CAPTION:
Police gather evidence at the night restaurant in Songkhla where the shooting took place. Photos: Thai Rath
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