Man In His 60s Who Killed Son With Homemade Gun After Birthday Meal Sentenced To Life In First Trial

The court: "Meticulously prepared, including manufacturing firearms before the crime"

A man in his 60s who, due to the delusion that he was being shunned by his family, killed his son who had prepared a birthday meal for him with a homemade firearm has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The court rebukes: "His intent to kill was clearly evident"

Mr. A, a man in his 60s who killed his son with a homemade firearm in Songdo, was being transferred from the detention cell at the Nonhyeon Police Station in Incheon to the prosecution on July 30 last year. Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, the 13th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court, presided over by Senior Judge Kim Gipung, sentenced Mr. A (63), who had been detained and indicted on charges including murder, attempted murder, and violation of the Act on the Safety Management of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives, to life imprisonment at the sentencing hearing on the 6th, and ordered him to wear a location-tracking electronic device (electronic anklet) for 20 years.

On this day, the court found Mr. A guilty on all counts of attempted murder, a charge for which he had denied intent. Explaining the reasoning, the court stated, "After killing his son, Mr. A approached other family members while holding a reloaded gun," and added, "He tried to open the door of the room where they had taken refuge and uttered threatening remarks for a considerable period of time, thereby clearly demonstrating his intent to kill the victims."

Appearing in court that day wearing a light green prison uniform, Mr. A remained calm throughout the proceedings. The court stated, "Human life is the most important and noble absolute value that cannot be exchanged for anything," and continued, "Murder is a grave crime that infringes upon this value, and once life is violated, it cannot be restored by any means, so the responsibility is extremely heavy."

The court went on to say, "After killing his son, Mr. A also attempted to kill his daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and an acquaintance, and by installing an ignition device at his residence, he also created the risk of a disaster for many neighbors," adding, "He meticulously prepared for the crime by personally manufacturing and modifying firearms for about a year prior to the offense." The court further explained the basis for sentencing by stating, "On the day the victim, who could not have anticipated the crime, prepared a birthday party, he lost his life at the hands of his father," and "Other family members also appear to have suffered such severe psychological trauma from the crime that their daily lives have become difficult, and he has not received their forgiveness." Earlier, at the sentencing hearing held in December last year, the prosecution had sought the death penalty for Mr. A, arguing that "the nature of the crime is poor and the offense is grave."

He killed his son with a homemade gun he learned to make from YouTube

Mr. A was detained and indicted on charges of firing two shotgun rounds from a homemade firearm at around 9:31 p.m. on July 20 last year at his apartment on the 33rd floor in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, killing his son, Mr. B (33 at the time of death), who had hosted a birthday party for him. He is also accused of attempting to kill four other people who were in the home at the time: his daughter-in-law, his two grandchildren, and his daughter-in-law's acquaintance, using the homemade firearm.

At Mr. A's home in Dobong-gu, Seoul, 15 flammable items, including plastic bottles and detergent containers filled with thinner, as well as an ignition device, were found, and the investigation revealed that a timer had been set so that a fire would break out the day after the murder.

Based on YouTube videos and other materials, Mr. A is believed to have meticulously planned the crime from August last year, purchasing homemade gun barrels, grips, and other parts, and conducting experiments on firing the weapon and manufacturing explosives.

Even after divorcing due to his own sexual violence offense, Mr. A received financial support for a long period from his ex-wife and son despite having no steady job. However, when this support was cut off from the end of 2023, he faced difficulties covering entertainment expenses and living costs. He fell into the delusion that his ex-wife and son had pretended they would continue to provide financial support in order to deceive him, leave him unprepared, and isolate him, and it was revealed that he decided to take revenge by killing his son's entire family.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.