From MELBOURNE, Australia — A shocking incident unfolded in Sydney, where a taekwondo instructor allegedly murdered a 7-year-old student and his parents, before presenting himself at a hospital with multiple stab and slash wounds, according to police reports on Wednesday.
The accused, Kwang Kyung Yoo, who owns the Lion’s Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy and is fondly referred to as Master Lion by his students, is expected to face three counts of murder charges, stated Homicide Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty.
The gruesome crimes came to light when Yoo checked himself into a hospital on Monday night, bearing “stab wounds or slash wounds” on his chest, stomach, and arms. Doherty mentioned that Yoo claimed to have been assaulted in a supermarket parking lot.
Police suspect that Yoo murdered a mother and her son at his academy following a class on Monday. He then allegedly drove to their residence, where he killed the woman’s husband and the boy’s father. The identities of the victims have not been officially disclosed by the police.
Upon discovering the bodies on Tuesday, police apprehended Yoo at the hospital.
The motive behind these heinous crimes remains unclear. Police have confirmed that all four individuals were born in South Korea and that the deceased boy was a regular student at the taekwondo academy.
“We’re still in the process of establishing any additional connections or relationships that may or may not have existed,” Doherty said.
According to unnamed police sources cited by the media, the mother and son were strangled, while the father was stabbed to death. The cause of Yoo’s injuries is yet to be determined by the police.
“This is not just a tragic incident, but the consequences are devastating. We’ve lost three members of a family whose lives were abruptly taken away,” Doherty added.
Media reports suggest that Yoo drove the woman’s BMW sedan from the academy to the family’s residence and then to the Sydney hospital.
Yoo underwent surgery for his injuries and was made aware that he was under arrest, Doherty said.
“There were no warnings, from what we have gathered so far. This incident was completely unexpected. It wasn’t something that was forewarned or planned,” Doherty said.
In New South Wales state, the maximum penalty for a murder conviction is life imprisonment, with a standard non-parole period of 20 years for the murder of an adult and 25 years for the murder of a child.
Disagree, this is horrific.