Man In His 60s Who Killed Son With Homemade Gun After Birthday Meal Sentenced To Life In First Trial

The court: "Meticulously prepared, including manufacturing firearms before the crime"

A man in his 60s who fell into the delusion that he was being ostracized by his family and shot dead his son, who had prepared a birthday meal for him, with a homemade gun has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The court rebukes: "His intent to kill was clearly evident"

Mr. A, a man in his 60s who killed his son with a homemade firearm in Songdo, was being transferred from the detention cell at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon to the prosecution on July 30 last year. Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, the 13th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Gipung, sentenced Mr A (63), who had been detained and indicted on charges including murder, attempted murder, and violation of the Act on the Safety Management of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives, to life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing on the 6th, and ordered him to wear a location-tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) for 20 years.

The court found Mr A guilty on all counts of attempted murder, for which he had denied intent. Explaining the reasons, the court stated, "After killing his son, Mr A approached other family members while holding a reloaded gun," and added, "He clearly demonstrated an intent to kill the victims by trying to open the door to the room where they had taken refuge and making threatening remarks for a considerable period of time."

Wearing a light green prison uniform in court that day, Mr A remained calm throughout the proceedings. The court held that "a human life is the most important, noble, and absolute value that cannot be exchanged for anything," and that "murder is a serious crime that infringes upon this value, and once life is infringed, it cannot be restored by any means, so the responsibility is extremely grave."

The court went on to say, "After killing his son, Mr A also tried to kill his daughter-in-law, his grandchildren, and an acquaintance, and by installing an ignition device at his residence, he also created a risk of catastrophe for many neighbors," adding, "He meticulously prepared the crime, including personally manufacturing and modifying firearms from one year before the incident." The court continued, "On the day the victim, who could not have anticipated the crime, was preparing a birthday party, he lost his life at the hands of his father," and noted, "Other family members also appear to have suffered such severe psychological trauma from the crime that it is difficult for them to carry on with their daily lives, and they have not forgiven him." Earlier, at a sentencing hearing in December last year, the prosecution had sought the death penalty for Mr A, arguing that "the nature of the crime is bad and the offense is grave."

Killed his son with a homemade gun he learned to make on YouTube

Mr A was detained and indicted on charges of murdering his son, Mr B (33 at the time of death), who had thrown him a birthday party, by firing two shotgun rounds from a homemade gun at around 9:31 p.m. on July 20 last year at his 33rd-floor apartment in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. He is also accused of attempting to kill four other people who were in the home at the time: his daughter-in-law, his two grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law's acquaintance, using the same homemade gun.

At Mr A's home in Dobong-gu, Seoul, investigators found 15 containers of flammable materials, including plastic bottles and detergent bottles filled with thinner, as well as an ignition device. It was determined that a timer had been set so that a fire would break out the day after the murder.

Based on YouTube videos and other materials, Mr A is believed to have meticulously planned the crime from August last year, purchasing parts such as homemade gun barrels and grips, and conducting tests on firing the weapon and manufacturing explosives.

After divorcing because of his own sexual violence offense, Mr A continued to receive financial support for a long period from his ex-wife and son despite having no steady job. However, when that support was cut off from the end of 2023, he began to struggle with spending on entertainment and living expenses. He fell into the delusion that his ex-wife and son had deceived him by acting as though they would continue to provide financial support, thereby preventing him from making any preparations and isolating him, and it was revealed that he decided to take revenge by killing his son's entire family.