The police have decided to add a charge of attempted murder against a man in his 60s who killed his son with a homemade firearm.
On July 25, the Incheon Yeonsu Police Station announced that, in addition to charges of murder, violation of the Act on the Safety Control of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives, and preparation for arson of an inhabited building, they plan to apply the charge of attempted murder to Mr. A (62), who has been detained.
The police believe that at the time of the crime, Mr. A not only intended to kill his son, Mr. B (33, deceased), but also attempted to kill four other people present at the scene: his daughter-in-law, his two grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law's acquaintance (a foreign home tutor).
In particular, the police determined that the charge of attempted murder is applicable based on circumstances such as Mr. A chasing after the foreign home tutor when she escaped outside the house.
At around 9:31 PM on the 20th, an incident occurred at an apartment in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, where a father fired a homemade firearm, killing his son. The photo shows police and fire authorities responding to the shooting scene. Photo by Yonhap News / Provided by a reader
Previously, the bereaved family of Mr. B also stated in a position paper, "The suspect tried to kill not only the victim but also the daughter-in-law and grandchildren who were present at the scene." The family explained, "While eating cake together after a birthday party, the suspect said he would briefly go to a convenience store, then returned carrying a bag containing a firearm, fired two shots at the victim, and then pulled the trigger twice at the victim’s acquaintance (the foreign home tutor), but the gun failed to fire."
They added, "When the daughter-in-law, who had hidden the children, briefly came out of the room to rescue the victim, the suspect reloaded the firearm, shouted at her, and chased her. 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 her to come out."
However, during two previous police interrogations, Mr. A reportedly denied the charge of attempted murder, claiming, "I only intended to kill my son." In a recent interview with a profiler, he stated, "I was listed as an employee at the family company and received a monthly salary of about 3 million won, but at some point last year, the payments stopped," adding, "(The deceased son) was my only family, but he turned his back on me, and I felt betrayed."
A police official stated, "The suspect pursued the daughter-in-law’s foreign acquaintance who escaped outside the house, and it is believed that he intended to kill the family members as well," adding, "We plan to charge Mr. A with attempted murder today." The police plan to focus on investigating Mr. A's motive and whether he intended to commit additional crimes.
Mr. A is accused of shooting and killing his son, Mr. B, with a homemade firearm at Mr. B's apartment in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, at around 9:31 p.m. on July 20. On the day of the incident, which was Mr. A's birthday, his son held a party, and his daughter-in-law and two grandchildren were also present.
In addition, at Mr. A's home in Dobong-gu, Seoul, police discovered 15 flammable items including PET bottles filled with thinner, detergent containers, and milk cartons, as well as ignition devices. It was found that a timer had been set to ignite them at noon on July 21, the day after the murder.
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