A man was found dead in a car in Vientiane’s Saysettha District on Sunday, with police not yet ruling out homicide.
Lao Security Newspaper reports that local authorities in Phonephanao Village received a call at 12:30 pm on Sunday reporting the discovery of the man.
He was found in the driver’s seat of a white Toyota Fortuner with a gunshot wound in the right temple. He had been holding a handgun between his legs, with one bullet in the chamber.
Four bullets were discovered on the driver’s seat, four on the front passenger’s seat, and more were discovered in the rear of the vehicle.
The car was locked from the inside, however, relatives of the dead man broke the left rear window to open the vehicle door, according to the report.
Police say the 28-year-old man originated from Kaysone Phomvihane City in Savannakhet Province but had been living in a rented residence in Phonephanao Village just 300 meters from the scene of the crime.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident and will determine if the death was a murder or a suicide.
Violent crimes, burglaries, and theft have been on the rise in Laos, with residents taking to social media to voice their concerns, calling on authorities recently to increase the police presence at night and do more to ensure safety and security.
