Abroad
M'sia man, 71, allegedly fatally shoots woman suspected to be ex-wife, 37, who owed him money at JB eatery
One of the victims was allegedly the former wife of the suspect, according to sources.
April 21, 2026, 03:10 PM
A 71-year-old suspect was arrested after three people were fatally shot at a restaurant in Johor's Kota Tinggi on Apr. 19.
The victims were two men and a Vietnamese woman, aged between 37 and 63, The New Straits Times reported.
They died at the scene after the suspect opened fire with a shotgun, the Johor police chief said.
The suspect held a valid firearms licence for the gun because he owns agricultural land.
"The firearm licence was granted for the purpose of protecting crops from pests, and not for any other use," the police chief added.
The motive
Although the motive behind the shooting is still under investigation, it was reportedly connected to a debt collection dispute.
The Johor police chief said that the Vietnamese woman owed money to the suspect, but the amount involved has yet to be confirmed.
The victims and the suspect are also believed to be known to one another.
Sources cited by NST said the Vietnamese woman was formerly married to the suspect, and they had separated several years ago.
Malaysia's immigration director-general said she was in Malaysia on a valid social visit pass, which was issued as she was the widow of a Malaysian citizen.
He declined to confirm whether this Malaysian citizen was the gunman.
Separately, sources also told Sinchew that the woman was friends with one of the other victims and related by marriage to the third.
A witness's account
According to NST, a source familiar with both the suspect and the victims claimed that one of the victims owned the restaurant where the shooting took place.
About a week before the incident, the suspect confronted the owner to demand repayment of a loan, but allegedly got scolded and physically assaulted, the source said.
The source added that the suspect was a "well-known figure" in the area and a meat supplier who regularly dined at the restaurant.
On Apr. 19, he allegedly walked calmly into the restaurant and shot the three victims, then drove to another nearby restaurant and sat down to wait for the police to arrive.
Top images from Community Roda Johor - CRJ/Facebook and Sinchew
