A 64-year-old man went on a shooting spree around 11 a.m. yesterday in Paju, Gyeonggi, killing his former live-in girlfriend, 41, and her new 54-year-old boyfriend.

A man in his 70s was also severely injured after getting shot in the face with buckshot.

According to police, the suspect, surnamed Sohn, fired 20 shots at his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Shin, and her current live-in boyfriend, surnamed Jeong, at a blueberry farm owned by the ex-girlfriend.

The two were talking to five customers when Sohn kicked in the door of an office brandishing a shotgun at Shin and Jeong, who tried to run away.

Sohn fatally shot them as they tried to flee.

Shin’s neighbors told the media that Sohn and Shin lived together for five to six years, running the blueberry farm together. But Sohn left Paju two or three years ago after he found that Shin was dating Jeong.

Police said Sohn may have been trying to recover a financial interest in the farm from the years he worked it.

The injured man helped out at the farm from time to time and was hit with buckshot in the face. He fled the farm and called police and was rushed to a nearby hospital, the police said.

A Moonsan Jungang Hospital official said that the man’s injury was not life-threatening.

The suspect was taken into custody after a standoff with police officers for about an hour, police said.

Investigators requested an arrest warrant for Sohn on murder charges and said further investigations into his motives will be made.


By Yim Seung-hye [enational@joongang.co.kr]

Essential Vocabulary: spree: (범행을) 한바탕 저지르기/buckshot: 산탄