PHETCHABURI: A man who went on a shooting rampage, killing three people and wounding three others, including a police officer, at a housing estate in Muang district on Wednesday, was killed in a police shoot-out early yesterday, ending a 15-hour standoff.
The man, identified as 29-year-old Anuwat Laemthong, began shooting indiscriminately from a two-storey house at the Krungphet Villa housing estate in tambon Ton Mamuang from about 1.37pm on Wednesday.
About 100 special operations police officers laid siege to the house and tried to convince the gunman to surrender.
At about 7pm, police brought his mother to the house to help get him to surrender. He refused and sporadically continued shooting.
By that time, three men had been killed and three others injured. Two of the dead were identified as Pasit Em-oth, 22, and Rathakorn Thongkaew, 22, both fourth-year Phetchaburi Rajabhat University students who came to the house on a motorcycle. The third was Sirapat Wattana, 27, a truck driver from tambon Pho Phra.
The injured were Pol Sub Lt Kanoksak Muthakan, chair of the Ton Mamuang TAO, who was hit when he arrived to negotiate with Anuwat; Pol Lt Somchai Yaemyuan, a special operations officer, who was hit in the cheek; and Krisda Sritha, 35, who was driving past on his way home.
At 3.33am yesterday, police commandos stormed the house, and an exchange of gunfire followed. Anuwat was shot dead on the second floor, ending the 15-hour standoff at 3.47am. A 9mm pistol was recovered from him.
Governor Nathachai Nampoolsuksawat said the families of those killed in the incident are entitled to compensation.
Provincial police chief Pol Maj Gen Piti Naruekhatpichai said Anuwat worked as a forest ranger at the Thap Lan National Park for six months in 2020, and his work contract was not extended.
He said Anuwat was indicted in a case in November. He had appeared two times previously at the Phetchaburi Court. A third hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, but Anuwat and a man on the other side of the case failed to attend.
Meanwhile, Suvit Thongkaew, the father of Rathakorn, called for justice for his son, saying he could have been saved.
Believing he was still alive after being shot, he said: “My son was reportedly shot in the afternoon. If my son had received assistance, he might not have died.”