Boy accidentally shoots girl, 7, dead at Phuket housewarming

The 9-year-old boy is the police officer’s grandson.

Phuket City Police Chief Col Sarawut Chuprasit spoke about the tragic shooting yesterday (Aug 8).

He assured that police were not ignoring the case. His comments followed growing pressure from comments online calling for Phuket police to publicly recognise the incident.

Col Sarawut explained that police were first informed of the shooting by staff at Phuket Provincial Hospital about 11am on Saturday.

The 7-year-old had suffered one gunshot to her upper left chest. She was pronounced dead at the hospital after being rushed from a home in ​​Moo 3, Ratsada, where a merit making housewarming party was being held, Col Sarawut explained.

The police officer had placed his handgun, a Sig Sauer P320SP, in a bedside drawer in the upstairs bedroom at the home before joining the festivities downstairs.

The boy and his 7-year-old cousin went upstairs to play in the bedroom, Col Sarawut said.

The boy found the gun. Thinking it was a toy, he pointed it at his cousin and pulled the trigger, firing one shot into her chest.

Col Sarawut repeated that Phuket City Police are following proper procedure regarding the shooting.

However, police are pursuing charges against the 9-year-old boy for negligence causing the death of another person, he said.

The police officer who owns the gun and left it loaded and ready to fire in an unlocked drawer with children playing freely in the house is not even being investigated.

The police officer is a relative of the person who owns the home where the incident happened, he said.

Col Sarawut continued his defence of police action in the case by saying that the charge against the 9-year-old was procedural and expected to be a formality only, considering the child’s age and circumstances of the shooting.

The 9-year-old boy is being provided counselling by a psychologist, he said.

“In this case, we must go through the steps. The police have filed a charge of negligence causing the death of another person. But under the law, if the child is under 12 years old, while it is a real offence, it does not have to be punished.

“The case is being investigated by a psychologist, prosecutors and police officers together. After that, we will take the child to the detention centre. 

“Let’s go through the procedures according to the rules," Col Sarawut said.

The mother was in deep grief, he noted.

However, according to Col Sarawut, the mother does not blame the police officer for the shooting.

OUTRAGEOUS that  a cop leaves his LOADED gun unsecured in a house where he knows children are, and the kid gets charged? 

Crazy Thai thinking. Many murderes get years of bail before their case proceed. But a child of 9 years old must be hold in detention because a RTP officer didn't comply with weapon regulations. To idiot for words. That policeofficer should be in detention and convicted. Shrimp brain RTP officers treat their gun like it is a toothbrush.  When 2015 promised RTP reform starts?

Typical- who, other than an idiot , leave a loaded weapon in a house where children can find it? RTP- never their fault is it! the cop IS culpable for failure to secure his weapon properly. There have been a number of incidents involving off duty police and weapons, time to secure them at the end of shift- this is NOT the US and no need for them to have weapons off duty..

A Phuket police officer not facing charges for leaving his 9mm handgun in an unlocked drawer. However police are pursuing charges against the 9-year-old boy for negligence causing the death of another person huh? It should be the other way round, no?