Judges in Greater Taichung yesterday ordered the detention of a man who allegedly fired two shots at a crowded night market last week, seriously injuring three people over what was said to be a misunderstanding.
Suspect Wu Chun-hung (吳春宏), 34, and his girlfriend, Lai Chun-pei (賴君佩), 34, were arrested on Saturday and Lai has since been released on bail.
Wu reportedly told police that while driving Lai to the Fongjia (逢甲) night market early on Tuesday morning, the driver of another vehicle rolled down his window and began shouting obscenities.
Thinking the foul language was directed at him, Wu reportedly pulled out a pistol and fired two shots at the vehicle.
The driver of the car, surnamed Huang (黃), was hit by a bullet and his vehicle collided with a scooter, pitching its riders to the ground.
A hospital said Huang, who was hit in the spine, could be paralyzed as a result.
The driver of the scooter, a student surnamed Chang (張), remains in a coma, while the person who was riding with him suffered a concussion and a fractured left leg.
Police were trying to determine whether Huang was shouting at Wu or someone else.
Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) and the city police department have been accused of failing to improve the security situation in the special municipality, long considered the center of crime in Taiwan.
Police said Wu was a drug dealer and was known to the authorities, adding that after the shooting, Wu allegedly drove the car — his mother’s — to a house in Greater -Taichung’s Shalu District (沙鹿) and hid there. The house belongs to s friend of Wu’s, surnamed Chan (詹), police said.
During a raid on the house on Saturday, police seized a pistol and several bullets.
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