Victim’s family claims the man who killed his own son planned to massacre entire family
The family of a man who was shot dead by his own father has hit back at rumors that a family feud had led to the tragedy, saying that it was a "meticulously planned murder" and that the perpetrator had "no justifiable reason whatsoever" for the brutal killing.
In a statement sent to local media outlets, the family said that the 62-year-old murder suspect planned to kill not only his 34-year-old son, but also the victim's wife and children.
They explained that it was only due to a malfunction of the murder weapon — a homemade gun — that the rest of the family was spared.
After killing the victim, the suspect supposedly pulled the trigger at the victim's acquaintance but the weapon did not fire. The victim's wife took the children to another room and hid, the family said.
"The perpetrator planned a murder spree on everyone there, not just the victim. It appears he failed to do so because of the gun issue," the family said.
The murder occurred while family had gathered to celebrate the suspect’s birthday, which was hosted by the victim himself.
The statement also quoted the victim's mother, who said that he was a model husband and father, and that speculative rumors were hurting the family, which is still suffering from the pain of his death.
After the killing on Saturday in Incheon, there have been reports that that a feud within the family had triggered the tragedy.
The family explained that the perpetrator had divorced the victim's mother 25 years ago due to his own fault, but the two pretended to be still married until the victim got married eight years ago. The victim was told the truth then, but did not reveal to his father that he knew, out of concern that it would hurt the suspect's feelings.
Since the suspect did not know that this son knew about the divorce, the family said that it could not have been the motive for the crime.
It was reported Tuesday that the suspect was sentenced to 30 months in prison, suspended for four years, after being convicted of rape and assault in 1999. The divorce was finalized a year later.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
