Man tests homemade gun, kills woman

Police in northeastern China's Jilin Province say they have arrested a man who allegedly shot dead a stranger on the street while testing a gun he had made.

In a statement to the Global Times, the Public Security Bureau in Dunhua said Jia Baodong, a 41-year-old man from the neighboring city of Jiaohe, was arrested on New Year's Day by Dunhua and

Jiaohe police. A search of Jia's home yielded three homemade guns as well as a bag of gunpowder, six bullets and large quantities of steel balls that could be used to make ammunition.

During interrogation, Jia said that he took a train to Dunhua on December 16 to search for a target in order to test his homemade gun. He randomly selected and shot a 40-year-old woman surnamed Wang, who was returning home after finishing work at a restaurant. After the shooting,

Jia fled the scene. Wang died of her wounds after being rushed to hospital.

Local police investigated more than 60 suspects and finally found Jia, who had spent eight years behind bars for fraud between 2000 and 2008.

An unnamed police officer with Dunhua police told the Global Times that the case is still being investigated. He said it would take some time for the police to pass it to the local procuratorate and did not give a specific date.

Chen Tao, a lawyer with Tahota Law Firm's Beijing office, said that Jia may be charged with the crimes of intentional killing and illegally manufacturing guns.

If convicted, Jia is likely to receive a life sentence without a reprieve because the two crimes were so serious, Chen said to the Global Times.

An expert on criminal investigations who asked not to be identified told the Global Times that the public security authorities have kept tight control of firearms and ammunition and have cracked down severely on their illegal manufacture or sale.

"However, because of the huge profits involved, some offenders still risk manufacturing and selling them through illegal networks," he said.