PATHUM THANI: A months-long dispute over two pets, a dog and a cat, culminated in a retired army officer shooting dead his neighbour and then ending his own life, in Khlong Luang district on Monday morning.

Police were called to a housing estate in tambon Khlong Sam about 7.30am. They found two bodies, one Col Jaruchart Jarupan aged 64, and the other Saowagul Sasadoh, 53. The woman’s 30-year-old son was also injured, with a bullet wound to his left hand.

Witnesses told police the army retiree and his woman neighbour had a long-running dispute and had argued again over their fence that morning. The man then went inside. He re-emerged with a 9mm pistol, walked over to the woman’s house and shot her repeatedly.

She was hit by five bullets - in her left cheek and abdomen, right hand and arm, police said.

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He said the dispute between the two families started after the retired officer’s adopted cat crossed their fence into his property, where they keep a pet dog.