The shooting deaths of top executives at the Mayfull Food Corp’s headquarters were likely a case of premeditated murder after a second handgun was found at the home of alleged suspect Huang Ming-te (黃明德), police said.
Investigators on Friday found a German-made SIG Sauer P226 pistol and a magazine containing ammunition during a search of Huang’s home in Taipei’s Shilin District (士林).
A coroner is scheduled on Monday to perform an autopsy of the suspect’s body, police said, adding that prosecutors would be present to determine whether there is evidence of possible drug use or an adverse chemical reaction which might have caused psychological or emotional distress leading to the shooting spree.
Investigators said that Huang clearly demonstrated premeditation by carrying a loaded Italian-made Fratelli Tanfoglio pistol and a spare magazine to a family corporate meeting on Thursday.
After a dispute broke out at the meeting, Huang, the family’s fourth son, reportedly took out the pistol and fired at his two elder brothers, Huang Ming-huang (黃明煌) and Huang Ming-jen (黃明仁), killing both men before turning the firearm on himself and committing suicide.
Following the questioning of several Huang family members, police said the slaying of the two brothers was the result of a long-running feud over the division of their inheritance and a business empire left by their father, business tycoon Huang Jung-tu (黃榮圖), who also owned large amounts of valuable real estate in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area.
Huang Ming-te reportedly held grudges over receiving what he perceived as an unfair share of the inheritance and the family’s business empire, which includes the Mayfull Food Corp — one of Taiwan’s largest meat importers and distributors — and the Miramar Group of Taiwan — a hotel and retail chain that operates the Miramar Shopping Mall, which is known for its iconic Ferris wheel, now a Taipei landmark.
According to the testimonies of Huang family members, Huang Ming-te was the black sheep among five brothers, and had in the past been involved with underground criminal syndicates.
Huang Ming-te also had a criminal record, having served a short jail sentence on charges of illegal firearm possession and blackmail.
The testimonies also revealed that Huang Ming-te had a violent nature and was easily angered, as well as allegedly lacking the business acumen his brothers possessed, being a chairman only in name of one of the family’s companies.
Huang Ming-te reportedly often spent money in excess of his means, frequently asking his brothers to give him more than NT$100,000 at a time.
He was allegedly recently engaged in a real-estate development project and needed to put up a large payment, which might have led to the resurfacing of the dispute with his brothers over receiving more money and a greater share of the family businesses.
In the past, there have been a number of lawsuits between the children of patriarch Huang Jung-tu’s two wives over their shares of the business empire.
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