PUTRAJAYA: A manhunt is underway in Malaysia following a shooting incident at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in the early hours of Sunday (Apr 14).
The 38-year-old assailant had opened fire on his wife at the entrance of the arrival hall in Terminal 1 at about 1.20am.
He fired two shots from about three to four metres away but missed, said Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
One of the shots hit and seriously injured one of the woman’s two bodyguards, with the bodyguard now hospitalised in critical condition.
Two members of the public were also injured when the man lit and threw firecrackers as he walked towards his wife to attack her.
Mohd Shuhaily said preliminary investigations showed that the shooting was due to a personal issue between the suspect and his wife, who is believed to be in the early stages of pregnancy.
The couple were said to be in the process of getting a divorce, he added.
Mohd Shuhaily urged the suspect to turn himself in and said that all CID personnel in neighbouring states had been roped in for the search, which will cover the country’s border areas.
The man had earlier fled in a car parked at level two of Block C and is believed to be headed north.
“I advise the suspect to cooperate and surrender at any police station. Police have identified the suspect, who is dangerous and armed.
“Therefore, anyone who comes across the suspect should share the information (alert police) and should not act on their own,” he told a press conference after inspecting KLIA 1.
Police said in an earlier statement that the suspect has three criminal records – two for criminal intimidation and one for theft and impersonating a civil servant.
Mohd Shuhaily said the man’s wife had previously lodged two police reports against him for criminal intimidation.
After the latest report was lodged in December last year, the man was arrested.
“We have submitted the investigation paper but there are certain instructions which need to be implemented. Following that incident, the suspect’s wife hired bodyguards,” said Mohd Shuhaily.
Source: CNA
