The shooting spree at a reservists’ training camp that resulted in three deaths is all the more tragic because it appears the incident could have been prevented had there been strict safety procedures in place.
The 23-year-old reservist, identified as Choi, fired seven bullets at fellow reservists at the shooting range before turning the K-2 rifle on himself. Choi died at the scene, while four reservists were taken to the hospital. Two of them died there, while two others remain hospitalized with serious injuries.
A suicide note was found inside a pocket of Choi’s Army issued pants indicating that he had planned the killings. Military investigators have tentatively concluded that it was a premeditated rampage. They found that Choi was under close monitoring while on active duty ― he was discharged in August 2013 ― because of warning signs that came up during psychological testing and his inability to adjust to life in the barracks. It has now been learned that Choi sent text messages to his friend hinting that he would kill himself on May 12.
Had the reservists’ training camp in Naegok-dong in Seoul been aware of Choi’s status as a closely monitored soldier during his military service, the supervisors may have been able to pay closer attention when he arrived for training.
The presence of three officers and six active duty military personnel at the shooting range was inadequate to supervise the 40 reservists in the 20 shooting lanes. Each lane should have been manned by one training assistant, as handling live ammunition requires close supervision because it may have been quite a while since a reservist has held a rifle. Apparently, there is no regulation on how many supervisors are required to be on site at shooting ranges, and each training camp makes do with however many personnel are available.
Then there is the question of why Choi’s K-2 rifle was not fixed toward the target with a snap ring as required by regulations, allowing Choi to take the rifle, turn around and shoot at fellow reservists. The fact that the reservists on Wednesday were issued magazines with 10 bullets may also have contributed to the number of victims. In the absence of guidelines on the distribution of bullets, the reservists’ training camp in Naegok-dong gave each reservist 10 bullets all at once.
There is also a very basic question of why the reservists were not required to wear bulletproof vests while training with live firearms. The Army earlier this year implemented a stricter training regime for reservists but failed to provide the necessary equipment or manpower that a more challenging training program requires.
A preliminary investigation shows that Choi fired the bullets in rapid succession and the incident was over in 10 seconds, implying that the supervisors did not have time to apprehend Choi or respond in any meaningful way, especially when the supervisor closest to him was about seven meters away. It was also revealed that the supervisors fled the shooting range, shouting at the reservists to flee ― no one made an attempt to stop Choi.
The Defense Ministry has promised a thorough investigation into the unprecedented event. Any breach of regulations should be punished to the fullest extent and the entire reservist training system should be reviewed to prevent such tragedies in future.
