15-year-old shot dead by five technical college students

The victim Teerapat Chahong was driving his motorbike home after finishing his part-time job when he was gunned down at an intersection. Police believe the killing stemmed from brawls between students from different technical colleges and the victim was mistaken as a rival. 

Min Buri Police Station deputy superintendent Pol Lt-Colonel Surapol Komnoi said yesterday that the initial investigation found that five young men on two motorcycles were behind the attack. 

Teerapat’s friend, whose name has been withheld, was riding pillion on the motorbike at the time of the attack. He told police that while they were waiting for the light, the attackers looked at them and one asked: “Why are you looking at my face?” As Teerapat and his friend took off, the attackers chased them and shot at them, resulting in Teerapat’s death. 

Teerapat’s father Somporn Chahong, who works as a security guard, called on the police to hunt down the killers of his son, who he said was a good boy and helped his poor parents make ends meet. Somporn said his son did not have a conflict with anyone. 

In a separate incident, two technical colleges decided to temporarily close their doors for two days starting yesterday after two Pathum Thani Technical College students were injured in a brawl with rivals from Don Muang Technical College on Wednesday morning. 

Chaiphruek Serirak, secretary-general at the Office of the Vocational Education Commission, visited the injured students and said the  two colleges' executives met police yesterday to discuss measures to prevent a recurrence of the attack. 

He also said that the agency would cooperate with police to hunt down the senior students who allegedly led six other Don Muang students armed with knives and a gun to start the brawl.