Killer of Udon Thani monk not a career gunman, police say
ATTACKERS who shot dead a revered monk in Udon Thani province at the start of the month were probably not career gunmen, as they fled before ensuring the victim was dead, assistant Royal Thai Police commander Lt-General Panya Mamen said yesterday.
A trajectory study showed that the attackers shot to kill, although the bullets did not hit essential organs. Their secondary shots did not seem to aim for death, and the nature of the monk’s wounds suggested the attackers could have been too excited, he said.
“The police investigators have given an importance on why the shooters did not check on the body before fleeing, which is against career gunmen’s nature of work,” the chief investigator handling the murder of Phra Bundit Supanthito on March 1 said.
Police are probing the source of the murder weapon – either an M-16 or HK-33, which Panya said contained several character abnormalities – to determine the potential provider.
Panya spoke after paying visits to several statues in Udon Thani with senior investigators, where they worshipped and reportedly asked for blessings and help to solve the case.
