GEORGE TOWN: POLICE are looking into the backgrounds of two people arrested following the killing of three people in a shooting spree on Thursday, which also saw five people wounded.
Northeast police chief Assistant Commissioner Mior Farid Alathrash Wahid told the New Sunday Times that the background investigations were necessary to identify the duo’s behavioural patterns.
One of the arrested was the bodyguard of businessman Datuk Ong Teik Kwong, who was shot dead. The bodyguard allegedly shot his boss before randomly firing his weapon, killing two others and wounding five in the incident at Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.
The other arrested suspect was Ong’s driver, who was in the car but was said to be too intoxicated to drive.
On whether the bodyguard would be sent for psychiatric evaluation, Mior Farid said this would be done if the court ordered it.
“We are trying to connect the dots in our investigation. Our focus is to wrap up the background checks into the bodyguard and the Datuk’s driver before handing over the case to the deputy public prosecutor’s office.
“It is premature to conclude that the bodyguard was mentally unstable.
“The court has to make the call to order a mental health evaluation by a psychiatrist.”
Mior Farid said investigations were expected to be wrapped up by Wednesday, when the seven-day remand orders against the bodyguard and driver expire.
The other two fatalities were Choi Hon Ming, 32, and Senthil Murugiah, 38.
The five injured were Lim Hong Boon, 56, Nurul Huda Aziz, 38, Arivani Krishnan, 33, Mohamad Amirul Amin Mohamed Amer, 28, and Lim Boon Leng, 32.
Amirul, a videographer with Radio Televisyen Malaysia, was hit in the shoulder and has been unconscious since surgery to remove the bullet.
Nurul Huda and Arivani also underwent surgery, and, with Amirul, are warded at Penang Hospital’s intensive care unit.
Hong Boon is in a normal ward while Boon Leng has been discharged.