A death sentence was sought for a man in his 60s who killed his son with a homemade gun after the son set up a birthday table for him.
According to legal sources on the 9th, prosecutors the previous day sought the death penalty at the sentencing hearing (Incheon District Court Criminal Division 13) for A, a man in his 60s who was indicted and detained on charges including murder, attempted murder, and violations of the Act on the Safety Management of Firearms, Swords, and Explosives.
Prosecutors said, "Defendant A killed his son and then tried to kill other family members and an acquaintance," and noted, "We sought the death penalty because the nature of the crime is vile and the offense is grave."
A was indicted and detained on suspicion of firing two shotgun rounds from a homemade gun at an apartment on the 33rd floor in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on July 20, killing his son B, in his 30s, who had thrown him a birthday party.
A is also accused of attempting to kill four people who were in the home at the time—the daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and the daughter-in-law's acquaintance—using a homemade gun.
It was confirmed that A had planned the crime since August last year, learned how to make homemade guns or automatic ignition devices on YouTube, and even modified live ammunition purchased 20 years ago to increase lethality.
A, who divorced after committing a sexual assault, had long received financial support from his ex-wife and son despite having no steady job, but he was found to have planned the crime after the support was cut off at the end of 2023.
At his home in Dobong-gu, Seoul, 15 flammable items including plastic bottles filled with thinner and ignition devices were found, and a timer had been set so that a fire would ignite the day after the killing.
A's sentencing hearing is scheduled to be held on Feb. 6 in the afternoon at the Incheon District Court.