"He Also Pulled the Trigger at an Acquaintance, but the Gun Misfired"
"Family Discord Due to Divorce Was Not the Motive for the Crime"
A police line has been set up at the residence of the suspect who fired a homemade gun in Incheon on the 21st, resulting in the death of a family member. Photo by Yonhap News
The bereaved family of a man in his 60s, referred to as Mr. A, who killed his son with a homemade gun in Songdo, Incheon, has claimed that he also attempted to murder his daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The family further stated that family discord caused by divorce was not the motive for the killing, and expressed their opposition to disclosing the suspect's personal information to prevent secondary harm.
On July 22, the bereaved family of the Incheon shooting released a statement saying, "There can be no mitigating motive for the suspect's crime," and described it as "an incident in which the suspect meticulously planned and brutally murdered an innocent victim in front of the family."
The family explained, "The suspect divorced the victim's mother 25 years ago due to his own wrongdoing, but did not inform the victim and maintained a de facto marriage until the victim got married, showing devotion throughout. Eight years ago, the victim learned of the divorce, but kept it secret out of concern that the suspect would be hurt if he found out."
They added, "On the day of the incident, the victim told the suspect that 'his mother could not attend the birthday party due to work.' The victim showed no sign that he knew about the divorce for the suspect's sake. Therefore, the claim that the suspect committed the crime due to 'family discord caused by divorce' is completely unfounded."
The family also described specific details of the incident. "In addition to the victim, the suspect tried to kill the daughter-in-law and grandchildren who were present at the scene. After the birthday party, while eating cake together, the suspect said he was going to the convenience store, then returned with a bag containing the gun, and fired two shots at the victim. He also pulled the trigger at an acquaintance of the victim, but the gun misfired," they said.
The family added, "When the daughter-in-law locked the door to the room where the children were hiding, the suspect repeatedly tried to open the door and threatened them to come out, but failed to open it. The suspect planned and attempted an indiscriminate killing targeting everyone present, not just the victim, but it was unsuccessful due to problems with the gun."
The bereaved family has appointed a representative to clarify the truth of the crime and stated that they will actively cooperate with further investigations. They especially requested, "We ask that the media refrain from speculative reporting related to the incident so that the bereaved family no longer suffers from baseless rumors and the victim's unjust death is not distorted."
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