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Police search for shooters in Taipei after man gunned down in hail of 40 bullets

Police searching for 2 armed and dangerous gunmen on the streets of Taipei after brutal shooting on Saturday

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Police search for shooters in Taipei after man gunned down in hail of 40 bullets

(CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Police are still searching for two men suspected of gunning down a man in a hail of 40 bullets at a tea house in broad daylight in western Taiwan's Taichung City.

On Saturday at noon (May 18), a 30-year-old man surnamed Shih (史) met with four friends for lunch at a tea house in Taichung's Shalu District. Before the incident occurred, three men left the restaurant, while Shih and another man went to the smoking area outside the teahouse to use their phones.

Two gunmen clad in black suddenly burst into the tea house, one armed with a handgun while the other carried a rifle. The man carrying the pistol covered his face with a mask and wore a baseball cap, while the man with the rifle brazenly showed his face and has since been identified as a 26-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳), reported China Times.

Shih and his friend fled inside of the tea house to take cover as the two gunmen unleashed a barrage of 40 shots, with Chen emptying one 30-round cartridge before reloading. After the two assailants fled the scene and the smoke settled, Shih had suffered 10 gunshot wounds.

When paramedics arrived on the scene, they found that Shih's body was so riddled with bullet wounds it was like a "honeycomb," according to the report. Shih's wounds were concentrated in lower body, chest, and abdomen, with one bullet striking his heart.

A couple, including a 44-year-old man surnamed Lee (李) and a 40-year-old woman surnamed Wei (韋), who were eating lunch with their 4-year-old daughter, were caught in the crossfire. Lee suffered a cut by broken glass, while Wei sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder, reported CNA.

All three were rushed to Kuang Tien General Hospital hospital, where he Shih succumbed to his wounds. Wei is listed in stable condition.

The two suspects fled the scene in a white and metallic gray car, which they later abandoned and set ablaze in Miaoli, according to local media reports. Lin Ming-yao (林明瑤), head of the Chingshuei Police Precinct’s Criminal Investigation Section, said that Shih and Chen were involved in a telecoms fraud operation and now suspect that the shooting was over NT$1 million that Shih allegedly owed Chen, reported Liberty Times.

A manhunt for the men is currently underway in Taipei, according to local media reports.