Elderly gunman slaughters two officials at township office

An elderly man armed with a shotgun opened fire at a township office Tuesday, killing two officials, police said.

The 77-year-old man surnamed Kim entered the Socheon-myeon office in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang, around 9:30 a.m. and fired the gun. Two township officials, aged 47 and 38, were hit in the shoulder and the chest.

They were taken by helicopter to a hospital, but both died later, police said.

Kim was overpowered by other officials and residents and handed over to police.

Before coming to the township office, police said, Kim shot a villager at a Buddhist temple 3.8 kilometers (2.3 miles) away.

The villager was wounded in the shoulder and was taken to a hospital, but the injury was not life-threatening, police said.

“We’ve detained the suspect. The suspect took out the shotgun from a police substation, citing a need to hunt harmful birds and animals,” a police official said, referring to the firearms control system in which owners must keep firearms at police stations and take them out only when necessary.

The shotgun was officially registered with authorities, officials said.

Yonhap