An eighth man is to appear in court in connection with a triad gang shooting in the heart of Hong Kong on June 10, which left three people injured and sparked a major police crackdown.
Police in a statement on Thursday night said the 26-year-old, who was formally arrested on Wednesday, was suspected of attempted wounding and possessing an offensive weapon. The man was set to appear at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Friday morning.
The shooting – rare in Hong Kong – occurred on Wyndham Street in Central at around 2:40 a.m. on June 10 and involved five vehicles. The three cars in front – belonging to one triad group – stopped at the traffic lights.
Men from a rival gang got out of the two cars behind, wielding knives. The gang members under attack fought back, firing at least two shots, police said.
Three people were injured, including one man run over by a vehicle who sustained a serious injury to his right leg and another who was shot in the stomach. A third suffered a cut to his head. All are from South Asian communities.
According to Ming Pao, the new arrestee was the man who was hit by a car. He had been in police custody in hospital and regained consciousness in recent days.
The gun has not yet been found.
Police follow-up
Following the brazen attack in the city’s upmarket financial and entertainment district, police offered HK$250,000 for information. They carried out multiple searches and patrols in Kowloon to “combat triad activities” after the shooting.
According to the force’s Facebook page, officers searched multiple military equipment shops, places of entertainment and crime hotspots in the past week.
On Wednesday they carried out another operation in Sham Shui Po district with the Customs and Excise Department as well as the Immigration Department and patrolled “multiple crime hotspots.”
Police said they had met “regional leaders of South Asian descent, members of religious groups and citizens” across different districts to hear their views and disseminate crime- fighting messages.
Triad gangs have existed in China for centuries. In Hong Kong they have been recruiting from South Asian and other communities in recent years.
The eight men in custody are aged from 23 to 42. The seven arrested earlier faced holding charges of attempted wounding with intent and possession of offensive weapons.
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