Man shoots grandson by mistake

KOTA TINGGI: A 79-year-old man accidentally shot his 10-year-old grandson at his fruit orchard thinking it was a group of wild monkeys which have been picking fruit at his orchard.

The boy, who was injured in the head and back, is now warded at the Sultanah Aminah hospital in a serious condition.

Police have detained the grandfather and seized his shotgun following the 9.10am incident in Kampung Mawai Baru here.

Sources said that the grandfather was upset by the wild monkeys “terrorising” his orchard and picking mangosteens and durians.

When he went to check on his orchard located next to his house, he decided to bring his gun along.

“When he noticed something moving behind the bushes, he thought the monkeys were back and fired a single shot,” sources said.

They added that the man was shocked when he heard the boy’s screams of pain.

Sources said that the boy was bleeding profusely after he was hit by pellets on several parts of his body.

He was rushed to the hospital by his parents.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Rahmat Othman confirmed the man’s arrest and seizure of the gun.

He added that investigations were being carried out under Section 39 of the Firearms Act 1960 for negligent use of a firearm.

In another unrelated case, a 42-year-old Malaysian driver was detained for trying to smuggle 1,750 cartons of cigarettes into Singapore worth almost RM440,000 several days ago.

A statement from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that the trailer had arrived at the Woodlands checkpoint and the driver declared that it was transporting vegetables into the republic.

Both the driver and vehicle have since been handed over to the Singapore customs authority for further investigations.