Victims Of Bangkok Shooting Relatives Of ISA Detainee
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - The family who were the victims of a tragic Christmas Day shooting in Bangkok was that of a detainee now in custody in Brunei.

The shooting apparently happened in front of his two sons, aged eight and 10. "It was a robber that came into their apartment. It turned out badly," said Mark's grieving father, Michael, from a family home in Trail, B.C.

"That's all I can really say about what happened right now." The Keffer family received a phone call from Bangkok late Christmas Day to inform them of the killing, news that devastated the family and quickly- ended their festive celebrations. "(The call) must have been pretty close to when it happened," said Michael Keffer. Mona Keffer was recovering in hospital Tuesday.

Police are still hunting the gunman. The Department of Foreign Affairs is assisting the Keffer family, said spokeswoman Catherine Gagnaire.

The Calgary family was on holiday in Thailand, where Mona Keffer has relatives. The apartment at the City Smart Condominium complex where the incident happened is owned by a family member.

Meanwhile Brunei Times reports that Thai police are already carrying out a manhunt for the suspect in the shooting of three Bruneians and a Canadian during a gathering in Bangkok on Monday night.

"The thief has been identified and there is a manhunt in Bangkok at the moment," a family member of the Bruneian victims told The Brunei Times.

One of the Bruneian victims, Norlela Abdullah, in her 60s, is now "fighting for her life", the source said. She was shot in the head by the thief who broke into the home where the victims were staying.

Doctors at Bumrungrad Hospital had to remove a bullet from the head of Norlela, or Ruby to friends and family, who is now in a coma. Ruby's daughter, Mona Lisa Noordin Aston, 40, was also shot in the abdomen and had to undergo surgery as her vital organs were damaged. Her condition is stabilising but is still in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit, The Brunei Times source said.

Mona Lisa's husband, Canadian Mark Jay Keffer, was shot dead by the thief. Their two children were with them during the incident. Keffer and the two children-were scheduled to visit Brunei for the first time, the source said.

"Mark and the children have never been to Brunei and this was their opportunity to meet the family."

The source stressed that Mona Lisa did not "foolishly attacked" the thief and endangered the lives of her family members, contrary to news reports. According to the source, the robber, armed with a gun, entered the home through a window and demanded money from the victims.

Zachary Noordin, one of the victims, told the robber that he could have anything he wanted as long as he would not harm them, the source said.

The thief took Ruby's jewellery, but suspected that the victims had more valuables hidden in the house, the source added. The thief then threatened to shoot the children and call his friends into the apartment, the source said.

Fearing for the lives of hex children, Mona Lisa attacked the thief who then shot her in the abdomen. This prompted her husband to retaliate, which led to the thief shooting Keffer in the chest, killing him instantly, the source said.

The thief also shot Zachary in the shoulder. The children were left unharmed. Several family members yesterday flew to Bangkok to attend to the victims' needs.

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News

Brunei's Fastest Growing Website with