Buddhist leader details horror nail gun attack
Mystery still surrounds a bizarre incident that left a monk and a Buddhist temple president with nails in their heads.
Harmony at the Vat Ketanak Khmer Kampuchea Krom temple was broken on Wednesday by a double shooting, involving two men, inside a room with a nail gun.
Detectives aren't sure who pulled the trigger, because one has given an odd account of what happened.
The other, a monk shot in the head is seriously ill, and in a coma.
Buddhist leader Tha Lam was last night surrounded by monks in the intensive care unit of Sydney's Liverpool Hospital.
Beside vigil at Liverpool Hospital. Photo: 7News
A bandage on the back of his head covers the wound left by an eight-centimetre nail fired into his skull.
He is out of an induced coma, and lucky to be alive.
"Headache. He feel headache," a monk told 7News.
Tha Lam being taken away by paramedics from the the Vat Ketanak Khmer Kampuchea Krom temple in Sydney's south-west. Photo: 7News
On Wednesday, the 59-year-old yesterday was taken away by paramedics after the bizarre shooting, which shattered the serenity of the Wat Ketanak temple.
Tha Lam was one of only two people in the temple dorm room, and has told his version of what happened.
"He suddenly hear a snap of the nail gun and hear where the monk shoot himself, after that he grab him and shoot him," Buddhist community leader Vannara Kim told 7News from the injured monk's bedside.
Inside the dorm room where the shooting took place on Wednesday. Photo: 7News
But police are far from certain about that given there were no witnesses.
Twenty-nine-year old monk Karuna Kim is in an induced coma, the nail still imbedded in his head.
It's not clear who pulled the trigger.
Monk Karuna Kim (left) was shot in the forehead, and caretaker Tha Lam (right) was shot behind his ear. Photo: FIRST ON 7NEWS
"That's still part of our investigation and I'm not able to disclose that at this point in time," Detective James Johnson said.
There were plenty of people who saw the gruesome aftermath.
"The president sit on a chair and I see the mark here and blood," a witness told 7News.
Inside the dorm room where the shooting took place on Wednesday. Photo: 7News
The monks have been at their Rossmore temple for 16 years, and there has never been an incident of violence - in fact non-violence is a key part of Buddhism.
Wednesday's horrifying attack and the uncertainty surrounding it has left all here deeply traumatised.
"Last night no one sleep, all the monks, no one sleep," a witness said.
Buddhist community leader Vannara Kim speaking from the injured monk's beside. Photo: 7News
"There are some evil inside the holy," Vannara Kim said. "Nothing is perfect in this world."
