Debt dispute leads to shooting, murder at southern Taiwan temple

南台灣寺廟因債務糾紛導致槍殺案發生

A 3 a.m. financial dispute at a Tainan temple ended with 17 shots fired, 1 dead, 1 arrested


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Before dawn Monday morning, May 28, a fight broke out in a Tainan temple resulting in a man being shot 17 times.

Two men were having a financial dispute this morning around 3 a.m. when one man, surnamed Chen (陳), invited the other, surnamed Huang (黃), to a privately owned temple to continue discussing the issue. After entering the religious site, Huang suddenly took out two pistols and shot Chen 17 times, according to CNA.

Police patrolling the area saw Huang standing at the entrance of the temple holding two pistols and stopped to question him. They immediately noticed Chen facedown on the floor and arrested Huang.

Chen was rushed to the emergency room where he was declared dead.

The men were reportedly arguing over a debt dispute from last October involving Chen and a friend of Huang's son. Before the men went to the temple this morning, Chen and a friend had arrived at a meeting with Huang brandishing steel baseball bats.

After Chen was shot, his friend fled the scene. Police are still investigating the incident and reviewing footage from surrounding video cameras.

Huang was found to be in possession of two pistols, four magazines, 17 ammunition cases, two warheads, and 25 bullets.