Just this evening, we were greeted with rumours of a shooting in the Bandar Utama area. According to our source, the sounds of gunfire pierced through the otherwise quiet Monday (15th June) evening.
Several Malaysian netizens later took to Twitter to express their shock and disbelief, with none really confirming or denying the news.
WTF just happened in Bandar Utama?
— Shahril Mohammad 🇵🇸 (@sixshotshahril) June 15, 2015
ada kes tembak dkt Bandar Utama ?
— ahmarr (@ahmarr) June 15, 2015
However, The Star Online just confirmed that a shootout did indeed happen, and it was witnessed by a passing motorist firsthand.
The driver, a 35-year-old Sibu businessman who is a Datuk, was talking on the phone when assailants approached a Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD parked at the roadside and started shooting. The passing motorist who witnessed the incident instinctively stepped on the accelerator and rammed into the men who were on a motorcycle.
The 2 assailants fell but got on to the motorcycle again and rode off.
The motorist’s actions could have saved the life of the 26-year-old Mongolian woman passenger in the luxury vehicle. The woman was hit 4 times on the shoulder and chest, and it is believed that at least 8 shots were fired at the driver’s window. According to Bernama, she was critically injured and is currently undergoing treatment at the nearby KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital.
The businessman was apparently unhurt by the shooting.
Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Azmi Abu Kassim said the motive of the attack could be revenge, adding, “We are not ruling out anything yet.” He confirmed that the assailants used a semi-automatic 9mm caliber pistol.
More to come as the story unfolds.
UPDATE (16th June, 10am):
According to TRP, the Mongolian woman was initially rushed to the KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital for treatment but she has since been transferred to the University Malaya Medical Centre. She is reported to be in a stable condition.
UPDATE (18th June, 10am):
The Mongolian woman was apparently just in wrong place and at the wrong time.
According to The Star Online, the police said that the 26-year-old Nomin Erdene aka Luna wasn’t the gunman’s target. The real target was the 35-year-old businessman and it is believed that one of the suspects behind the drive-by shooting was an associate of the businessman. The suspect is known as “Brother”.
Police investigations showed that “Brother” harboured a personal vendetta against the “Datuk” businessman due to a business deal that went awry. It is believed the suspect was also involved in illegal cyber gambling, illegal logging and prostitution activities.
Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Azmi Abu Kassim said investigations found that the businessman had a criminal record, but declined to elaborate further. “He claims that he received threats via phone and his house in Sibu was also shot at last year. He believes the shooting was orchestrated by Brother,” he said.
He added police were now determining when Luna entered Malaysia.
Sources: The Star Online (1), Bernama’s Twitter, TRP, The Star Online (2).
