The Daegu District Court on Tuesday said it has granted the jury trial demand filed by an elderly man accused of murdering two civil servants and attempted murder of a neighbor in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province.

The 77-year-old man surnamed Kim fired a hunting rifle at a 48-year-old neighbor surnamed Im, leaving him injured in the shoulder area on Aug. 21 around 9:13 a.m.

Around 20 minutes later, Kim reportedly walked into a community center in Bonghwa and killed two civil servants, according to authorities. 

The deceased victims from the community center shooting incident were a 48-year-old department chief surnamed Sohn and a 38-year-old desk officer surnamed Lee.

According to news reports, Kim returned to farming in the countryside four years ago. He and his neighbor surnamed Im started to engage in frequent disputes regarding expensive water pipe construction costs and a defective firewood boiler.

During police questioning, Kim said “it was at that point” that he planned the shooting. After earning his firearms license, the murder suspect reportedly bought the rifle and visited a nearby shooting range to perfect his aim.

By Catherine Chung (cec82@heraldcorp.com)