Two killed, three injured in Texas Koreatown shooting

Two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting on May 5 in a Korean American neighborhood in Carrollton, Texas, authorities said.

According to The Associated Press and other media reports, the shootings began at about 10 a.m. at KTown Plaza, a shopping center in the city’s Koreatown district, and a nearby apartment complex. The suspect is believed to have opened fire on four people he had met for business near the plaza, killing one man at the scene and injuring two other men and one woman.

About 6 kilometers away, police received a separate report of gunfire at an apartment complex. Officers responding to the call found a man dead.

Police identified the suspect as Han Seung-ho, 69, who operated a Japanese restaurant in the area. Investigators believe he carried out both shootings. Han fled after the attacks but was arrested at around noon the same day at a nearby grocery store.

During questioning, Han told investigators he became angry over financial disputes tied to his business, according to police. Authorities said they do not consider the case a hate crime.

The identities of the five victims have not been released. Woo Sung-chul, head of the Dallas Korean Association, told KDFW-TV that he knew some of the victims and described them as immigrants who had worked hard to support their families. Officials said all three injured victims are in stable condition.

A resident of Carrollton’s Koreatown told The Associated Press the shooting came as a shock, describing the neighborhood as a peaceful, hardworking community.

Carrollton, a city of about 130,000 people, is located roughly 32 kilometers from Dallas. About 25,000 Asian residents live there, including around 5,900 people of Korean descent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.


김보라 기자 purple@donga.com