An Ayutthaya man shot and killed his neighbour today, June 16, after a heated argument reportedly stemming from a long-standing dispute that had lasted over 10 years.
The incident occurred outside an electrical appliance repair shop in Uthai district. Police were alerted to a shooting following a violent altercation and arrived at the scene with hospital staff and rescue workers.
The victim, identified as 52 year old Theptat, was found unconscious in front of his shop with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and torso. Emergency responders performed CPR and rushed him to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital, but he was later pronounced dead at Rajthanee Hospital.
The suspect, 35 year old Veerayut, lived next door to the shop. After the shooting, he fled into his home, where officers apprehended him and recovered a .38 calibre handgun and five spent shell casings found in a nearby trash bin.
During questioning, Veerayut told police he had longstanding issues with the victim’s family, which had escalated over the past decade. He claimed that while returning home from a repair shop with his wife, the victim shouted vulgar insults at him.
This led to another verbal clash, during which he alleged the victim threatened him with a knife. He said he ran into his home, grabbed his gun, and returned to fire five shots and then waited to surrender to police.
The victim’s wife, 53 year old Pranee, told officers that her husband had been sitting in front of their shop singing karaoke at the time. She said Veerayut arrived on a motorbike with his wife and confronted her husband, accusing him of making offensive remarks.
She added that her husband was unarmed and she didn’t dare intervene out of fear she would be shot as well. Once the suspect fled, she rushed outside and found her husband lying in a pool of blood.
According to Pranee, the families had clashed for years over issues like noise from revving motorcycle engines and disputes over the property boundary.
Police have taken Veerayut and his wife into custody for further questioning at Uthai Police Station. Investigators are compiling evidence to proceed with legal action, reported KhaoSod.
The story Ayutthaya man guns down neighbour in decade-long feud as seen on Thaiger News.
