Police question son of TV stars over homemade flamethrower

Taipei, May 16 (CNA) Sun An-tso (孫安佐), the son of television celebrities Sun Peng (孫鵬) and Di Ying (狄鶯), was brought in for questioning by police on Saturday after posting a video on social media showing a homemade flamethrower being tested on a riverbank.

In a news release, the Beitou police precinct said Sun and another suspect involved in the act were brought in for questioning early Saturday morning at the direction of the Shilin District Prosecutors Office.

The homemade flamethrower, which Sun said in the video was aimed at killing rats, produced large flames, and its proximity to a public road and residential buildings raised public safety concerns, the precinct said.

It said that the area in Beitou District where the testing was carried was surrounded by low trees and bushes, and if an accidental fire had broken out, it could have had severe consequences.

Police said the two individuals will be referred to prosecutors on suspicion of public endangerment and related offences.

Police did not disclose any statements made by Sun, but urged the public not to imitate such behavior, warning that making weapons capable of causing harm is illegal and may cause public panic.

Sun, who is in his late 20s, has long been a controversial figure, including during his time studying in the United States.

In March 2018 when he had just turned 18, he was arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after he threatened to carry out a mass shooting on May 1 at Bonner and Prendergast Catholic High School in Delaware, Pennsylvania.

Sun subsequently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to up to 23 months in jail, with immediate parole and credit for time served.

He was then released into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on June 5 and was later charged with the federal offense of being an alien in possession of ammunition.

On Aug. 28, Sun entered a guilty plea to the federal charge.

The U.S. court also ordered that Sun be removed from the country and permanently barred from entering the U.S.