KUALA LUMPUR: Terror struck the city today when two gunmen opened fire upon a car at a traffic light along Jalan Genting Klang, near Setapak Central.
The assassins left the car riddled with bullet holes and its occupant, a 43-year-old man, dead.
Police believe that the murder could be related to underworld activities.
The horror unfolded around 3.30pm when the victim was driving his Honda Accord along the busy road.
Unknown to him, two motorcycles with four men had pulled up behind his car, which had stopped at the traffic lights.
The pillion riders, with their helmets still on, got off the motorcycles and skirted towards the Accord. One ran to the driver’s side and fired off several shots in the direction of the driver.
The gunman’s accomplice meanwhile, took position at the front passenger window and unloaded his firearm towards the driver.
The gunman on the driver’s side fired three to four shots, while his accomplice let off a dozen bullets.
Stunned motorists and pedestrians could only watch in horror as the gunmen executed their victim in cold blood and fled on the waiting motorcycles.
Police have declined to reveal the man’s identity, saying only that he was known as ‘Kana’. It is understood that the father of three hailed from Taman Melawati, Wangsa Maju.
City Criminal Investigation Department senior assistant commissioner Rusdi Mohd Isa said initial investigations showed that the victim was a money-lender.
They have yet to establish a motive for the killing. The theories now range from business-related issues to revenge.
“We are looking at all possibilities, including that it is gang-related,” he told reporters at the scene today.
Rusdi said the victim did not have a criminal record, but had a prior arrest in 2014.
“Four of the bullets struck him in the right arm. Ten bullets pierced his body. He was also shot in the head and thigh,” he said.
The incident was captured on CCTV from a nearby building. The video, which was leaked and widely shared on social media, captured the incident in its entirety.
He said the victim’s family were informed of the incident and came to the scene to identify him.
The victim’s remains have been brought to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police are now appealing to witnesses to come forward and shed light on the incident.