Man Surrenders After M16 Rampage in Rayong City
A 24-year-old man surrendered in Rayong after firing an M16 rifle into a residential neighborhood on July 20, claiming he acted recklessly while intoxicated. Police recovered the weapon and a getaway vehicle, and are searching for his accom
On July 20, residents of the Sala Daeng-Ban Chon soi in Mueang Rayong district were awakened around 2 a.m. by dozens of consecutive gunshots that terrified the neighborhood. Police investigators found two 5.56 mm shell casings and one unfired round near the village entrance and collected them as evidence. Using CCTV footage, officers identified a sedan used in the incident and traced it to a 24-year-old suspect named Ton. After obtaining a search warrant from Rayong Provincial Court on July 24, police found him absent from his home in Ban Khao district.
On July 29, facing police pressure, Ton surrendered and turned over an M16A1 rifle used in the shooting, a 30-round magazine, and the purple sedan used as the getaway vehicle. In his confession, Ton said he and his friend Nat had been drinking at Mae Rampung Beach that evening. He asked Nat to retrieve the loaded M16 rifle, and while driving home after drinking, Ton impulsively fired it into the air out of recklessness and intoxication.
Police have charged Ton with firing a weapon in public, illegal possession of military-grade firearms and ammunition, and violations of the Weapons Act. His accomplice Nat has not yet surrendered; police will request an arrest warrant if he does not come forward voluntarily.
