BONGHWA, North Gyeongsang Province -- An elderly man armed with a shotgun opened fire at a township office Tuesday, killing two officials, police said.



The 77-year-old man, surnamed Kim, entered the Socheonmyeon township office in Bonghwa County, some 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, around 9:30 a.m. and fired the gun. Two township officials, aged 47 and 38, respectively, were wounded in the shoulder and the chest.



They were taken by helicopter to a hospital, but both died later, police said.







Socheonmyeon township office in Bonghwa County (Yonhap)



Kim was overpowered by other officials and residents, and handed over to police.



Before coming to the township office, police said, Kim shot a villager at a Buddhist temple some 3.8 km away. The villager was wounded in the shoulder and was taken to a hospital, but the injury is not life-threatening, police said.



"We've detained the suspect. The suspect took out the shotgun from a police substation, citing a need to hunt harmful birds and animals," a police official said, referring to the firearms control system in which owners must keep firearms at police stations and take them out only when necessary.



The shotgun was officially registered with authorities, officials said.



Police plan to question the suspect about why he committed the crime. (Yonhap)