The suspect in a shooting at a temple in Yunlin County’s Taisi Township (台西) on Thursday night was found dead in Mailiao Township (麥寮) yesterday morning after reportedly committing suicide, police said.
Chung Yang-ming (鍾陽明), 44, rode a motorcycle to a temple in the township’s Wengang Village (蚊港) on Thursday night, where several people were dining outside, Taisi police officers said.
Chung allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired nine shots at one of the diners, a man surnamed Hsu (許), as the other diners and onlookers ran for cover, and then rode off on his motorcycle.
Police said that when they arrived at the temple they found a bleeding Hsu, who had been shot three times in his head and lower abdomen, and he was rushed to a hospital in Chiayi City.
Police immediately launched a manhunt for the shooter, setting up roadblocks and chasing him in cruisers as he headed to the Formosa Plastics Group’s Sixth Naphtha Cracking Complex in Mailiao. Once at the complex, he fled on foot to a park.
Police said they found Chung’s body on a park bench after hearing gunshots at about 1:30am yesterday morning.
Yunlin District Prosecutors’ Office said that after examining the evidence, it appeared that Chung committed suicide by firing one shot into his head, adding that a modified handgun, 12 bullets and 10 spent cartridges were found at the scene.
Hsu remained in critical condition yesterday, police said.
Chung reportedly bore a grudge against Hsu because he had stopped him from setting fire to another village temple last month, police said.
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