On 31/7, the Criminal Police Department, in coordination with the Cai Rang Ward Police in Can Tho City, is investigating Su's (46 years old) violation for prosecution.
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Police confiscated the air rifle and over 200 lead pellets from Nguyen Van Su. Photo: Can Tho Police |
Police confiscated the air rifle and over 200 lead pellets from Nguyen Van Su. Photo: Can Tho Police
On the afternoon of 28/7, Su took an air rifle (a type that shoots lead pellets using compressed air) to shoot birds in his backyard in the Phu My area, Cai Rang Ward. Around 5 PM that day, a 40-year-old woman gardening about 100 meters from where Su was shooting was struck in the head by a pellet, causing profuse bleeding.
Relatives took the victim to the Can Tho Central General Hospital. Doctors extracted a metal pellet measuring 0.5x0.3 cm. The woman is now in stable condition.
The next day, the victim's family reported the incident to the authorities. After an investigation, Su became a prime suspect and was summoned for questioning. He admitted to shooting birds at the time of the incident but said he was "unaware the pellet had hit the victim." He claimed to have purchased the rifle and ammunition from a stranger on Facebook two years prior.
Police seized an air rifle and two boxes of lead pellets containing 209 pellets matching the one found in the victim's head. The Facebook account that sold the weapon has since been deleted.
Su's family has contacted the victim to apologize, address the consequences, and offer compensation.
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Doctors examine the female patient after surgery. Photo: Ngan Nguyen |
Doctors examine the female patient after surgery. Photo: Ngan Nguyen
The Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives, and Support Tools, effective 1/1/2025, classifies various weapons, including shotguns, air rifles, and pellet guns, as military weapons. Furthermore, all other weapons, including sharp knives, used with the intent to harm or endanger lives illegally are considered military weapons.
Consequently, using air rifles or shotguns, previously subject only to administrative fines, now carries criminal charges with sentences of up to 7 years in prison. In severe cases, the sentence can reach 20 years for illegal possession and use of military weapons.
An Binh
