Shooting suspect not psychopathic, profilers determine

The suspect in a shooting in Incheon that left his son dead and involved a bomb threat did not meet the threshold for further analysis for psychopathy, according to police after interviews with two criminal profilers.

Police tape is put up at the apartment in northern Seoul of a man who allegedly shot his own son on July 20. [YONHAP]

He is accused of building a gun, plotting an explosion and killing his son on his birthday — yet police say the suspect in the recent Songdo murder case in Incheon doesn’t meet the criteria for psychopathy.

The 62-year-old suspect underwent a preliminary assessment for antisocial personality disorder but did not meet the threshold for further analysis.

“Following an interview with a profiler, the suspect was found not to qualify for further psychopathy testing, so a formal assessment was not conducted,” a police official said during a press briefing on Monday. “Two criminal profilers conducted a cross-evaluation, but the results did not meet the criteria.”

The psychopathy diagnostic test, which quantifies personality traits such as callousness, impulsiveness and irresponsibility, consists of 20 items.

“Criminal profilers conduct interviews to assess the 20 items, and only those scoring 25 points or higher out of 40 are classified as high risk and undergo full psychopathy testing,” the official explained. In this case, however, the suspect did not meet that standard.

Regarding the explosive device found at the suspect’s home in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong District, northern Seoul, the official explained that “a timer had been set so that current would flow at the designated time,” and that “more detailed findings will be shared once the National Forensic Service [NFS] releases its full analysis.”

On July 25, the police requested a forensic analysis from the NFS on the explosive device installed at the suspect’s home.

Explosives were recovered at the site where a man allegedly shot his own son with a homemade gun on July 20 that were installed at an apartment complex in Dobong District, northern Seoul [INCHEON METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Ammunition allegedly used by a man accused of shooting his own son in Incheon on July 20 [INCHEON METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

The suspect is accused of shooting and killing his 33-year-old son at 9:31 p.m. on July 20 — the suspect’s birthday — at an apartment on the 33rd floor in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu District, Incheon, using a homemade firearm.

He is also alleged to have attempted to kill everyone in the apartment, chasing a foreign tutor who fled outside and firing two rounds at them in the hallway. He later confronted his daughter-in-law and grandchildren who had barricaded themselves in a room, but fled the apartment 10 minutes later upon hearing someone call the police.

While fleeing, the suspect was apprehended and his home in Dobong District, northern Seoul, was searched. There, authorities found 15 flammable items, including plastic bottles, a detergent container and milk cartons filled with thinner, as well as ignition devices. The timer had reportedly been set to ignite the fire at noon on July 21, the day after the murder.

Police believe the suspect committed the crime after developing delusions that he was being alienated and excluded, despite having received long-term financial support from his ex-wife and son. During questioning, he claimed, “The rest of the family conspired to set me up.”

The suspect was arrested on July 21 and a detention warrant was issued. Last Thursday, a day before the end of the detention period, he was referred to the prosecution.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY CHO MUN-GYU [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]