SUNGAI PETANI: Police arrested eight suspects in connection with the murder of K. Kalyani and the attack on her son and two others on Monday night.
Kedah CID chief ACP Mohd Zakaria Ahmad said the suspects, aged between 18 and the mid-30s, were picked up from several locations in Sungai Petani.
They have been remanded to facilitate investigations.
"With the arrests, we hope to establish the motive for the attack," Mohd Zakaria said.
For the moment, he said, the motive was suspected to be related to gangsterism and drugs. In the incident at 11.30pm on Monday, Kalyani died from a gunshot wound to her cheek, while her son T. Kathiravan, 22, and his friends S. Devan, 23, and N. Murugan, 38, were hacked by six men on three motorcycles.
They had been chatting outside Kalyani's house in the Ladang Bukit Lembu estate. Kathiravan, Devan and Murugan were admitted to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital with head and body injuries.
The suspects were said to be armed with with two pistols and four parang. One of the gunmen fired a warning shot in the air and then fired another shot, randomly at the group.
The bullet hit Kalyani, who collapsed and died.