Could that day's terror have been prevented?
On the 12th, SBS's 'Tails of Tales' delved into 'The 2016 Seoul Shooting Rampage' as its subtitle, tracing the unimaginable events of that day.
On the evening of October 19, 2016, in Beon-dong, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, Mr. Lee, who ran a shoe store, was chatting with an acquaintance. Amidst their everyday routine, a sudden loud noise erupted from somewhere.
Stepping outside, Mr. Lee realized the noise was gunfire upon hearing people exclaim, "That person just shot a gun!"
Instantly, a scene beyond imagination unfolded before Mr. Lee. A man wearing a helmet fired a gun at someone, who then fell to the ground. The helmeted man then proceeded to brutally hammer down on the fallen individual.
Afterward, the helmeted man stood up as if nothing had happened and disappeared. Despite the crowded time, onlookers avoided him.
At this moment, Mr. Lee and his acquaintance, Mr. Kim, quietly followed the man. Noticing the helmet, blue bag, and bulletproof vest, and seeing the man abandon a homemade firearm, they instinctively decided to track him.
Mr. Kim followed the man while Mr. Lee called 112 (the Korean emergency number) to report their movements. The man then threw something into a parking lot while passing through a residential area - it was an electronic monitoring device.
Commonly worn by sex offenders, these devices had their usage expanded to include those convicted of murder and robbery, enabling real-time tracking of high-risk parolees. The man had destroyed his device to hide his movements.
Suddenly, the man started running and hid in the bushes near the Opaesan Tunnel. When the police arrived shortly after, Mr. Lee pointed out the perpetrator's location, and they approached him together.
As the police exited their vehicle, the perpetrator resumed shooting, hitting an officer. The officer fell, and soon after, the SWAT team arrived. The perpetrator fired again, prompting return fire from the police, who managed to hit him with two out of three shots. However, his bulletproof vest prevented serious injury, unlike the unprotected officers.
At that moment, day laborers passing by witnessed the scene and quietly intervened to subdue the gunman. The combined efforts of civilians and police successfully overpowered the perpetrator, who then bizarrely claimed, "I was trying to kill myself. I'm fine with dying."
The perpetrator, 46-year-old Sung Byung-dae, had a history of sexual assault convictions dating back to 2001. After his release, he orchestrated the unbelievable shooting rampage in 2016.
He had spent months researching and testing homemade firearms, eventually manufacturing 17 guns with significant lethal potential.
On the day of the incident, Sung was armed with an enormous quantity of homemade firearms, seven knives fashioned like spears, and two homemade bombs. He had also reinforced his bulletproof vest with a cutting board for added protection.
Sung, who was struggling financially before the incident, blamed the police for his criminal record, claiming he was framed. He was consumed by delusions that the police, seeking to boost their performance metrics, had orchestrated attempts on his life.
Even while incarcerated, Sung's delusions led him to attack a guard, resulting in an additional two-year sentence. Upon release, he isolated himself and justified his actions through an autobiographical novel titled "Agwi." He openly expressed his hatred for the police on social media, claiming they incited violence against him as part of a "Spitting Operation."
Believing even his landlord was part of this conspiracy, Sung's paranoia reached a peak, leading him to leave his house fully armed and wait for his landlord's return from work before initiating the shooting.
The incident resulted in the death of a police officer, leaving Mr. Lee, who had reported Sung, tormented by guilt. The officer, 54-year-old Kim Chang-ho, was a decorated officer who lost his life due to being easily spotted in his reflective vest.
The landlord sustained severe head injuries but survived, while a stray bullet injured another passerby, who also survived.
Sung boldly reenacted his crimes during the investigation, refusing psychological evaluation for fear his claims would be dismissed. Prosecutors sought a psychological analysis, which concluded Sung was capable of premeditated crime despite some delusions, posing a high risk of reoffending.
Charged with murder and attempted murder among other crimes, Sung requested a jury trial, where he continued to assert his innocence, suggesting a police conspiracy. However, the jury unanimously found him guilty, leading to a life sentence.
Sung's appeal was unsuccessful, and his sentence was upheld. Fellow inmates testified to his longstanding delusional behavior, which had been inadequately addressed due to a lack of compulsory treatment options within the correctional system.
Experts argue for better management of mental health treatment for inmates and continued care post-release to prevent future crimes, highlighting the urgent need for legal and systemic reforms to address these challenges.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)