Đoàn Thiên Long at the court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for charges of murder and illegal possession, transportation and use of firearms. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Sen

KIÊN GIANG — Đoàn Thiên Long, born in 2001 in Phú Quốc City, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday for killing two people and injuring six in the notorious Phú Quốc shootout.

Kiên Giang Province People's Court also pronounced a life sentence on Nguyễn Văn Thái, born in 1988 in Phú Quốc City, for murder and Bùi Đức Ngọc, born in 1992 in Hải Phòng City, for murder and use of military firearms.

Phạm Anh Hiếu, born in 1990 also in Phú Quốc City, was sentenced to 20 years for murder.

Other gang members were given jailed terms ranging from six months to 18 years for murder, illegal possession of firearms, disturbance of public order, and harbouring a fugitive.

According to the indictment, the shootout arose from a land dispute in which one party hired Thái's gang to seize land claimed by the other party in which Nguyễn Văn Trường is also a gang member.

On October 27, 2022, Thái's gang drove to the disputed land area and a row between the two rival factions began. After some arguing, the two agreed to meet again in the evening to smooth things over.

The court said that when Thái's gang was about to leave, they found a car blocking their road. They tried to pull it out of the way but Trường's gang suddenly assaulted them with bricks. Being caught off guard, Thái called in more people for help.

Nguyễn Văn Quá showed up with a gun and started shooting indiscriminately. The sound of gunfire drew even more people in, and more than 50 rushed to attack Trường and his gang members.

When Trường's gang was in retreat, Đoàn Thiên Long pursued and shot dead Phan Trọng Hải and Nguyễn Anh Thư (members of Trường's gang), and injured six others, including Trường.

Thái's group left the scene after Trường's group retreated into a house. — VNS