A man was tragically shot dead by his friend in a jungle in Thailand after being mistaken for an animal.
The deceased was 64-year-old Boonmee Kongklin (name transliterated from Thai), as confirmed by Mr Attapol Charoenchansa, the Director General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, on Friday (8 Nov).
The shooter was identified as 64-year-old Wee Pakdeeme (name transliterated from Thai), who lived in the same village as the deceased.
According to local reports, the two men had gone to Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary at around 11am on Wednesday (6 Nov). They were also with another companion.
At some point, Wee separated from the group, only returning to the meeting point at 8pm.
Source: Khaosod
Upon checking the area, he spotted a pair of eyes shining in the dark. Believing that the glowing eyes belonged to a wild animal, Wee fired his shotgun.
The shot struck Boonmee in the head, killing him instantly, reported Thairath.
After firing, Wee heard his other companion, Weeradet Stitan (name transliterated from Thai), who had been standing next to Boonmee, shouting in alarm.
Realising his mistake, Wee rushed to check on Boonmee and immediately called his family to inform them of the tragic incident.
Local police confirmed that they had received a report of a fatal shooting in the forested area. Thairath reported that rescue workers took about five hours on foot to reach the accident site.
Authorities found that the deceased had been shot with a 12-gauge shotgun. Meanwhile, Wee had willingly surrendered himself to the police.
Source: Khaosod
The victim’s body was carried out of the jungle at around 6pm on Thursday (7 Nov), according to Thai PBS.
Wee has been charged with manslaughter and illegal firearm possession in a town or village without justifiable cause.
Also read: 2-Year-Old US Boy Accidentally Shoots Father After Finding Gun, Police Arrest Mother
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Featured image adapted from Khaosod.
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