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.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit