Hong Kong | Four elderly siblings shot in rare instance of gun violence

This frame grab from video provided by iCable TV, shows a victim being taken to a hospital at the Quarry Bay Park

Four elderly siblings were shot yesterday, one fatally, by a relative in a rare instance of gun violence in Hong Kong that was apparently sparked by a family dispute, police said.

The two men and two women were shot in the head and arm and all were sent to a hospital, where one, an 80-year-old woman, later died, officials said.

A 44-year-old woman in possession of a gun was apprehended in a shopping mall near the site of the attack and was uninjured, Chief Inspector Hui Hong-kit told reporters.

“We believe the motive behind the attack was family conflict,” he said, adding that police would also investigate how the suspect obtained the weapon.

Firearms are tightly controlled in Hong Kong and such shootings are highly unusual, usually restricted to armed robbers and members of organized crime groups known as triads.

The Asian financial hub is considered generally safe, although thieves this year have twice attacked jewelry stores using hammers.

According to police statistics, 10 murders were recorded between January and April this year, up by two from the same period last year. It wasn’t clear whether firearms were used in any of those killings.

Yesterday’s incident took place in Quarry Bay Park on Hong Kong Island. The local Apple Daily newspaper said the dispute appeared to have been financial in nature and that the suspect appeared calm as she was being taken into custody with a hood placed over her head. AP