Teen fires shots at rival's home over long feud

A 17-year-old boy has been accused of firing gunshots outside a rival's home in northeastern Thailand, in an apparent escalation of a feud dating back more than three years, police said. The incident occurred in Ban Tha Chuang village, Kut Kha subdistrict, Thung Fon district, Udon Thani province. CCTV footage showed two teenage males arriving on a motorcycle before gunshots were heard and shouting broke out directed at people inside a house. The suspects then fled the scene, alarming nearby residents. No injuries or deaths were reported. Victims, identified as "Nawin", 17, and "No", 19, later filed a complaint with Thung Fon police at 10:30 the same day, accompanied by their guardians, urging authorities to take legal action. Officers who inspected the scene found a spent 20-gauge shotgun shell, believed to have been fired from a homemade weapon. According to witness accounts, the suspects stopped outside the house, shouted challenges for the occupants to come out, and when no one responded, opened fire. They allegedly fired multiple rounds at several houses before returning to the original location to shoot again. Police said the attack stemmed from a long-running dispute between local youth groups that began more than three years ago after a fight at a traditional molam performance. Pol. Col. Atirot Thajang, chief of Thung Fon police station, said investigators have identified the suspects as local youths, including two 17-year-olds known as "Jele" and "Dido", who already have records with authorities. Police are seeking warrants and working to apprehend those involved. "We know who they are. People who create danger like this cannot be allowed to remain at large," Atirot said. "Thung Fon must be safe, and those responsible will face the full extent of the law."