Police arrest suspect killer of 5 after gunfight

A 100-strong police team had been hunting Veera, who was spotted in tambon. Just after midnight yesterday they arrested Veera at a relative’s house in Ban Thap Chang after a five-minute gunfight with police. He is now detained at Khao Chakan police station. 

Police also arrested the homeowner and Veera’s relative Somwang Wangjungreed, and seized 123 yaba tablets on Sunday. The case is being investigated at Wattana Nakhon police station.

Police surrounded Somwang’s house in which Veera had been hiding since Sunday evening following the brief gunfight. Around midnight Veera called police on the phone saying he wanted to surrender for fear of being killed. As a condition of the surrender, Veera asked police to have his other girlfriend, Kanchana Khumalee, to be present during the surrender. 

When Kanchana arrived, police called Veera to remove his clothes and walk out of the house with hands up. 

They didn’t immediately search the house because they feared Veera might have rigged it with explosives. At 9am, a 50-strong police team searched the house and discovered a 9mm Glock pistol, the alleged murder weapon, along with 30 bullets in a bedroom. They also found on the floor 13 spent bullets from the gunfight with police. Police said a pile of four rice sacks were at the bed’s end, which Veera said was a bunker to fight and defend himself from police.

On Thursday, Veera allegedly shot dead a Khao Chakan Hospital male nurse Nipon Montri, 32, along with Santiparp karaoke bar owner Pud Thawan, 18, and three employees Sunisa Uplee, 20, Chanipa Mongkolthae, 16 and Rassamee Saneepiewthai, 39. Another bar customer, Dam Butraphrom, was injured by a stray bullet. 

Veera was said to be upset with Nipon for aggressively questioning his girlfriend Wassana Thepthien, 25, while also angry with the karaoke bar staff for reportedly assaulting the girl earlier.