Police reveal that 31-year-old restaurant owner Udomsak Thepparat, who murdered his wife in Maha Sarakham, had been receiving psychiatric treatment as they investigated yesterday’s double killing of the woman and her stepson. The man’s nephew also suffered a bullet wound in the back.

Police in the northern province of Maha Sarakham on Thursday revealed that a restaurant owner originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, who brutally gunned down his 43-year-old wife and her 23-year-old stepson, had previously received psychiatric treatment for a mental disorder. The man surrendered to police on Wednesday after a three-hour standoff in which he was also responsible for his nephew being shot in the back. Senior police officers on Thursday said that they expected the man to be remanded to prison as they continued their investigation into the case including his mental capacity.

31-year-old Udomsak Thepparat (bottom left) who shot his 43-year old wife dead on Wednesday together with her 23-year old son at a restaurant run by the family. The man’s nephew was also found by police shot in the back but alive at the front of the premises. Armed police cordoned off an area around the curry house in Maha Sarakham for three hours after the man refused to surrender. He later relented after talking with his brother. Police briefed the media today on the status of their investigation while opposing bail for the man in court.

Police in Maha Sarakham have opposed bail for a man arrested yesterday at a restaurant premises in the urban centre of the province after three people were shot, two of them fatally.

He has been named as 31-year-old Mr Udomsak Thepparat, originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province in southern Thailand. 

7 shots fired in a moment of deadly madness

Police were called to the scene following reports of a disturbance and shooting. Police have confirmed that up to 7 shots were fired at the scene.

They found the man’s nephew lying in front of the building. He had been shot in the back but was still alive. He was later reported as being in a stable condition in hospital

Up to 100 police, many of them heavily armed, surrounded the building and cordoned off the area after the shooter initially refused to stand down. 

Negotiators got the crazed killer to surrender

Negotiators were employed to get the man to surrender. This followed a warning shot by Mr Udomsak as officers approached.

He eventually surrendered after 3 hours of a tense standoff.

Police, on entering the premises found the 43-year-old wife of the man lying dead on the ground. The woman’s son, the accused man’s stepson, was also found dead near his mother.

Confessed to killing his 43-year-old wife and stepson after losing his sense of reason over money problems 

The 31-year-old man is reported to have confessed to the shooting of the three people while murdering his wife and stepson. 

He explained to police that financial pressure due to a threatened lawsuit had caused him to lose his sense of reason and launch himself into the deadly tirade on Wednesday.

Police at the scene seized a 9mm CZ handgun from the man.

Police summoned urgently to the scene on Wednesday afternoon at 3.55 pm after the massacre

Police were called to the scene on Wednesday at 10 minutes to 4 in the afternoon. Captain Waichai Krai Wapi, the deputy chief at Mueang Maha Sarakham police station, was alerted to the outrage.

The location of the massacre was a well-known restaurant and curry shop known as Kaeng Tai Curry.

Discussion with his wife over financial matters sparked out of control over legal proceedings

The press was updated on Thursday on the progress of the murder investigation into the incident by Police Colonel Wuti Sriwilai of Mueang Maha Sarakham police station. 

He revealed that on Thursday the suspect in the case was in an improved mental state to cooperate with police enquiries after his breakdown yesterday.

He explained that a financial discussion between the man and his wife became highly charged following news of a lawsuit having been filed.

Reached for a gun to shoot his wife

It appears that the man had withdrawn the gun from a drawer where it was held and shot his wife.

Directly after this, her son walked in and the frenzied man shot him dead too.

It is then understood that Mr Udomsak’s nephew, who quickly ran from the eatery, was hit in the back by a bullet ricochet.

Surrendered after speaking with his sibling following three hours sitting near his dead wife at the scene

The man then sat on a chair in the restaurant near his dead wife and stepson.

Even though he had fired a warning shot at approaching police, he was waiting for his brother to come and speak with him. 

After speaking with his sibling, the suspected murderer finally surrendered to police.

The man held the police off for several hours and only gave himself up at 6.55 pm, over three hours after the shooting.

Suspect to be remanded to prison

Police explained that their interrogation of witnesses and the suspect would be complete on Thursday afternoon and the perpetrator of the killings would then be remanded to prison.

Police have revealed that their investigation is also looking closely at the man’s mental condition as he was admitted for psychiatric treatment a number of times in the past.

Wife died from a bullet to the head

Police confirmed that the man’s wife, 43-year-old Pranit Khong-in, had died following a bullet to the head.

His stepson, Mr Thanit Khong-in, died after being shot twice in the chest and the head.

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