1972 Queenstown shooting
On the afternoon of 17 September 1972, a 22-year-old Malaysian seamstress named Chan Chee Chan[a] (Chinese: 曾丽珍; pinyin: Zēng Lìzhēn) was walking in Queenstown, Singapore. She was shot in the chest by a .22 caliber bullet fired from a distance.[1] The case is still unsolved today.
| 1972 Queenstown shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Queenstown, Singapore |
| Date | September 17, 1972 |
Attack type | Murder |
| Weapons | Possibly a rifle or shotgun |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Victims |
|
| Perpetrator | Unknown |
Shooting
changeChan Chee Chan and her sister Kim Moy were walking on Commonwealth Avenue towards Queen's Circus when Chee Chan suddenly cried out in pain. Kim Moy thought it was a stomachache and gave her medicated oil, but Chee Chan collapsed, and blood began to flow from her left chest.[2] The bullet was fired from over 30 feet away and at a 30-degree angle, likely from a nearby 16-storey building. Chan was taken to Outram Hospital, remained unconscious, and died a few hours later. A .22 caliber bullet was recovered from her chest.
Police investigations
changeDuring the investigation, police took nine rifles and one pistol from licensed owners near Queenstown and tested them, but the bullet that killed Chan Chee Chan didn't come from any of them. Six witnesses who heard the shot contacted the police, and one, who knew about guns, said the shot came from a rifle.[3] Chan lived a quiet life, and her family didn’t think she had enemies. There was a theory that her sister Kim Moy might have been the real target and that the shooter could have been a rejected suitor or hired killer.[4] In March 1973, a coroner’s hearing was held. The police said silencers weren’t available in Singapore, but someone could have made one. Despite the tests, the police couldn’t find a match. The coroner ruled the case as open.[2]
Aftermath
changeAfter the shooting, Chan Chee Chan's sisters went into hiding and locked their Tanglin Halt flat because they feared Kim Moy might have been the real target. In 2022, the shooting was featured in the Chinese crime show Inside Crime Scene, on the fifth episode of its first season.[5]
Notes
change- ↑ Her name was also spelt as Chen Lee Chern.
References
change- ↑ "Police find 7 guns". The Straits Times. 1972-09-20.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Did sniper's gun have a silencer ?". The Straits Times. 1973-03-29.
- ↑ "Six tell police: We heard that fatal shot". The Straits Times. 1972-09-21.
- ↑ "Murdered girl's sisters in hiding". New Nation. 1972-09-23.
- ↑ "Inside Crime Scene - Ep 5 Guns and Violence". mewatch.