South African Dies After Gun Incident At Shooting Range On Pattaya Beach

[Rimmer]

South African dies after gun incident at shooting range on Pattaya Beach

PATTAYA:--A 42 year old South African died after he apparently shot himself in the head at a Shooting Range located on Pattaya Beach, only meters away from Pattaya Police Station.

The owners of the Pattaya Klang Shooting Range called Police just after 3pm on Sunday to inform them that a foreigner had shot himself in the head with a rented 9mm handgun. Medics rushed to the scene and attended to Mr. Jonathan Osborn Koch from South Africa who was taken to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital where Doctors were unable to save his life.

Khun Opat aged 25 was supervising Mr. Koch at the time of the shooting and told Police that seconds after the firearm arrived and was loaded, Mr. Koch pointed the firearm towards a target situated down the range but then turned the gun in his direction and subsequently shot himself in the side of the head. Little is known about Mr. Koch and Police can only speculate for now why he decided to take his own life.

The South African Embassy in Bangkok are now working with Pattaya Police and a full investigation into the Shooting Range is now taking place

Full story:http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/63973/south-african-dies-gun-incident-shooting-range-pattaya-beach/

-- Pattaya One 2012-10-14

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[crudy21]

Just another day in paradise, RIP i guess. Permanent solution for a temporary problem.

[LeCharivari]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

[rsokolowski]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

How do you properly secure a gun at a gun range? I guess you could keep the guns locked up 24/7, or don't give anyone any ammunition. Both options put a damper on running a shooting range.

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

[catweazle]

I don't think there is a possibility to "secure the weapons properly" at a shooting range... As the name indicates, a shooting range is made for shooting... It's everyone's own decision to end his own life. However - if, then it should be done without causing innocent people a lot of trouble, and without endangering others. So I'd give this special (and seemingly popular) version of suicide only a three out of ten...

RIP to the poor fella, condolences to (friends?????) and family.

Know of a similar incident that happened at the Phuket Shooting range many years ago. It was a Japanese guy who took the easy way out, buying the bullet with his last few hundred Baht after running out of money... Wanted to write something here that certainly would have been deleted by editors, thus I leave it to the readers what I think about suicidals... Life is a gift! Don't waste it!

Edited October 14, 2012 by catweazle

[frankold]

To answer a few points about securing the firearms. I've seen pictures of ranges with the guns in some sort of harnessing so they can't be pointed away from the targets direction.

[Ohio]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

This type of incident has happened in many Ranges in many countries.

One of a few I was Investigator on we timed the incident from the Security Camera & it was less than3 seconds for the subject to go from aiming down range to placing it to his head and firing.

Reaction time by the Range Officer was much longer & that is because of the "Fright,Flight,Fight' Syndrome.

Sad but it is a rare incident compared to the number of people attending Firearm Ranges using Handguns.

I have trained Officers from Police,Security , SWAT,HRT, Military in several Countries ,for over 40 years attended several suicides doubt I have seen any that a Range Officer or Bystander or family member could have stopped once the gun was in the subjects hand

RIP

[metisdead]

An insensitive nonsense post has been removed as well as the replies.

[Soutpeel]

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

Considering the age of the guy at 42, he will have completed his SA national service as it was at that time, further South Africa is a gun culture society, and you will most likely find he owned one or many firearms, and would be pretty competant in their use, most likely more competant that the 25 year old "instructor", therefore one can only conclude, the act was intentional, not an accident because he was a novice

[Rimmer]

Pattaya Shooting Range Suicide

PATTAYA:--For the second time in recent memory, a foreigner went into a local gun range, and blew his brains out with a rented handgun

The owners of a Pattaya shooting range, (located between Beach Road Soi 7-8 Moo 9 Pattaya, Nong Prue, Banglamung) called police and medical services after a 43 year old south African, Jonathan Kock, is said to have walked in, rented a gun for shooting target practice and, after drawing on the target, pulled the gun back and purposely fired it at his own head.

Police requested the security camera tapes from the shooting range owners as Medical services determined Jonathan Kock not to be dead at the scene, as originally reported, but to be in critical condition.

Read more: http://www.pattaya103.com/pattaya-shooting-range-suicide/#ixzz29KyUCRgn

--Pattaya 103 FM 2012-10-15

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[Scabo]

Sad to think, the bloke thought this was his only way out..

RIP

[KarstenBoAndersen]

Also happened in Phuket within the last few years !

[yoslim]

Maybe City Hall should think about a legal Euthanasia program from Falangs on the edge to keep the desperate away from tall balconies and shooting ranges

[bridge2bridge]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

How can you properly secure a weapon if one is using it for target practice.

Surely the attendant could not be held responsible.

It would all happen so quickly.

[bridge2bridge]

Maybe City Hall should think about a legal Euthanasia program from Falangs on the edge to keep the desperate away from tall balconies and shooting ranges

Great Idea.

[Tanaka]

To answer a few points about securing the firearms. I've seen pictures of ranges with the guns in some sort of harnessing so they can't be pointed away from the targets direction.

I have seen that too. On airguns in amusement parks.

[masaomi]

I feel so sorry for this chap! It must have been a very difficult life for him. Nobody would choose this alternative unless circumstances are beyond repair.

I have been through this stage before; after loosing 70 million baht in foreign investment, I had the muzzle of the .38 in my mouth. My Thai friend with all his guts yanked it right out from me just in time before I pulled the trigger. His family became my family and he literally looked after me for 2 years both financially and emotionally until I recovered. A brother my parents could never give to me.

As for the South African gentleman, my deepest condolences and may the Lord understands and forgives him. Amen.

[MyFriend You]

Maybe City Hall should think about a legal Euthanasia program from Falangs on the edge to keep the desperate away from tall balconies and shooting ranges

Great Idea.

no comment necessary.............good for a laugh

[LeCharivari]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

How do you properly secure a gun at a gun range? .....

How can you properly secure a weapon if one is using it for target practice.

Securing firearms so they can't be discharged or aimed anywhere other than at the designated target area is relatively simple and there are a number of options when commercial ranges are properly designed to cater for firers of unknown experience, training and mental stability. The problem is not just those who are suicidal or mentally unstable but those who have accidental/negligent discharges and may fire the weapon when pointing at the side wall, the ceiling, their supervisor, the firer next to them, turning round, etc; this is a particular priority and danger with short-barreled weapons and generally inexperienced/novice firers.

These options vary from pipe ranges to gun harnesses which restrict the direction in which the firearm can be aimed (without adding any weight or other handling restrictions). They aren't particularly expensive or complicated and they are well known to anyone qualified in range safety, RDAs, etc.

On ranges where the firers are properly trained, etc, different rules apply but the danger these ranges present is not only to the firers but to anyone else in the vicinity.

[blackthorn2005]

Second time this year at this particular range; it has happened before at this range and at others in Pattaya (Tiffany's, Pattaya Shooting Park and on Koh Larn)

Such incidents are easily avoided if the range is properly constructed and the weapons properly secured, as they should be for novice/unknown shooters.

How do you properly secure a gun at a gun range? I guess you could keep the guns locked up 24/7, or don't give anyone any ammunition. Both options put a damper on running a shooting range.

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

They have a range in the middle of Jungceylon, the largest shopping mall on Phuket!

[tropo]

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

How do you suggest they appraise the mental stability of tourists coming to the range?

[frankold]

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

How do you suggest they appraise the mental stability of tourists coming to the range?

Give them a loaded gun?

[PoodMaiDai]

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

How do you suggest they appraise the mental stability of tourists coming to the range?

I wonder if they notice a customer is drunk, if they will still let them handle a gun? My gut tells me they will.

[Woody1]

I do agree that for an unknown shooter they might be able to do a better job of appraising mental stability before allowing them access, but that is about all you can do if someone decides to kill himself at a shooting range.

How do you suggest they appraise the mental stability of tourists coming to the range?

I wonder if they notice a customer is drunk, if they will still let them handle a gun? My gut tells me they will.

Yes they will.

A few years ago I used to visit Koh Larn fairly regularly with friends that would be over here visiting, normally we'd spend the majority of the day at the main beach (forget the name, where all the speedboats come in to) swimming, jet-skiing, eating, and drinking. Then on our way back to Pattaya we'd always have the speedboat skipper take us round the side of the island and wait for us there whilst we walked up to the shooting range (normally with a beer in hand).

There, we were able to hire any firearm available, and although we weren't falling about drunk must have smelt of alcohol to anyone who hadn't been drinking. Sometimes some easten Europeans would turn up absolutely slaughtered, and they were still allowed to use the firearms, this did worry me.

They also sell alcohol at many of the shooting ranges. This is not only in Thailand, but Cambodia and Viet Nam too.

[poanoi]

Maybe City Hall should think about a legal Euthanasia program from Falangs on the edge to keep the desperate away from tall balconies and shooting ranges

Great Idea.

I've been told i have cancer in my skull and would rather take a pill than having cancer growing through my eyeballs and/or blowing my brain out