 Soldiers walk toward a shrine for the fatal victims of Monday’s shooting rampage at a military hospital in Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Military officers say the 19-year-old perpetrator, who also injured himself in an apparent suicide attempt, suffered mental health issues. / Yonhap |
By Lee Tae-hoon
The Marine Corps corporal, who shot four of his colleagues to death Monday, suggested that he went on a shooting spree in retaliation for physical and bullying at his military unit.
“Beating, ostracizing and outcasting must disappear in military barracks,” the shooter, identified as only Kim, was quoted as saying Tuesday by a senior defense official.
When asked whether he had a family problem, Kim replied in writing, “No. It’s extremely painful. I want to die.”
The 19-year-old soldier gave written answers to investigators as he had difficulty in speaking due to his injuries.
He was severely injured after detonating a hand grenade in an apparent suicide attempt inside a warehouse, which took place shortly after a shooting rampage inside his barracks on Ganghwa Island near the maritime border in the West Sea.
He was arrested shortly after attempting to the failed suicide.
"They didn't treat me and respect me as their superior," Kim wrote, referring to lower-ranked Marines.
He claimed that both subordinates and superiors looked down on and bullied him, including lance corporal Kwon Seung-hyuk.
Kwon was one of the four victims.
Defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok, Kim claimed that he had long considered himself as an outcast.
Citing a report on the incident, Rep. Shin Hak-yong of the Democratic Party claimed that the military was aware of Kim’s mental health issues.
"The personality evaluation at the boot camp found that he had anxiety and personality disorders and showed signs of schizophrenia," Rep. Shin claimed.
However, Navy Capt. Kwon Young-jae, who is in charge of the ongoing probe into the incident, denied the growing suspicions that the military overlooked mental health problems of Kim.
"He didn't have any record or history of problems," Kwon said. "His personality test showed that he needed to be looked after, but it wasn't anything that his superiors thought would harm others. If so, they would have taken a more active approach."
Kwon also confirmed earlier reports that some notes were found inside Kim's lockers.
"Many people have tried to change me. That's how much of a troublemaker I've been,” the note read.
“To be honest, I want to give up everything and put an end to this all."
Kwon said investigators were still trying to determine whether Kim had indeed written those words.
Kwon added Kim might have been intoxicated at the time of the shooting.
"A private who had spoken to Kim earlier testified that Kim's breath reeked of alcohol and his face had reddened," Kwon said.
"We discovered some liquor bottles at the unit but have yet to conclude whether Kim had consumed their contents."
Kim is being treated at a military hospital in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
A conscripted soldier bullied by senior comrades also went on the rampage in June 2005 at an Army guard post near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
The soldier threw a hand grenade into barracks where 25 soldiers were sleeping at around 2.30 a.m., instantly killing eight colleagues and wounding two.
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