Police Pursue Killer Of Khammuan Prosecutor

Source: Vientiane Times

Khammuan police are searching for the gunman responsible for the murder of a prosecutor, who died in a hail of bullets as he was driving to work in Thakhaek district, Khammuan province, on Wednesday morning.

The news of the killing was widely shared on social media, riveting people in Vientiane and nationwide thanks to the dramatic video clips of the incident.

The shooting occurred at a bridge in Thangam villageat about 8:30am on Wednesday. When police arrived at the scene they found the victim dead inside his Fortuner SUV, his body peppered with bullet wounds. The ground nearby was strewn with cartridges apparently fired from an AK rifle, police told Vientiane Times yesterday.

Police named the victim as Mr Souksavay Sonsacksith, 44, a provincial prosecutor, who lived in Xiengvang village, Nongbok district, Khammuan province.

Initial investigations suggest that two to three persons may have been involved in the shooting as the gunman stopped in a white Fortuner SUV to fire the rifle and then drove off. Police do not suspect robbery as a motive because nothing appeared to have been stolen.

A few hours later, police and soldiers found a white Fortuner (with no number plate) parked by a road between Nongbok and Xaybouly districts in Savannakhet province, which they believe was driven by the shooter, but the suspect had fled.

This was the third attack on Mr Souksavay’s life, police said. In March 2018 a gunman fired at him but he was not injured, while in August last year he was again shot at but only suffered an injury to his arm.
Police and army personnel are searching the area in an attempt to track down the suspects and expect to make an arrest soon.