Death penalty upheld in execution-style shooting of 5 in Nantou

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) Taiwan High Court's Taichung Branch Court on Thursday upheld the death penalty handed down by a lower court to a gunman found guilty of the execution-style shooting and killing of four people and critically injuring a fifth at a biotechnology company in Nantou County last year.

In its ruling, the Taichung Branch Court upheld the death sentence with the life-long suspension of civil rights handed down by Nantou District Court in May to Lee Hung-yuan (李鴻淵), given that a forensic psychiatric examination of the accused conducted by Taiwan Forensic Psychology Association determined there was little chance of rehabilitation.

In addition, the court said, Lee's actions could be interpreted as the "most serious crimes" possible under the United Nations' International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

As such, the death penalty is the only way to maintain social order and justice in response to Lee's multiple crimes and malicious behavior in taking the lives of others, the high court found.

On July 14, 2022, a disgruntled Lee shot Kang Jian Biotech Chairman Lai Min-nan (賴敏男), his brother and daughter, and two company employees surnamed Chang (張) and Liu (劉).

Lee, held a grudge from his time as an employee at the company and shot the five individuals in an act of revenge.

Lai suffered severe head trauma and was rushed to Taichung Veteran's General Hospital, while the other four died on the spot.

All five were shot in the head up close execution style, which the high court said highlighted the totally lawless and extremely malicious nature of the crime.

The court ruling can be appealed.