KOTA TINGGI, April 20 — Panic gripped a business area in Taman Kota Jaya here yesterday after witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion that was initially thought to be firecrackers, but was later found to be a shooting that left three people dead.A trader who wanted to be known only as Abdul, 33, said he first saw several people arguing at a food outlet about 50 metres from his shop before the situation escalated into a physical fight.He said the suspect then went to his vehicle before returning to the scene.“After that, we heard several loud bangs. At first, we thought they were firecrackers, but it turned out to be gunshots.

Everyone was panicked, so we immediately closed shop,” he said.Another trader, who wanted to be known as Hamzah, 57, said he noticed the suspect loitering in the area before the incident, acting suspiciously.“He (the suspect) was here before the incident, but we never expected it to end in tragedy. After the blasts rang out, people panicked and started asking for help,” said the trader, who has been operating in the area for more than 10 years.He said the suspect, a vegetable seller and farm operator in the area, had no known issues with residents but is believed to have had a dispute with the victims. A shotgun is believed to have been used by the suspect in the shooting incident that claimed the lives of two Malaysian men and a foreign woman, at a restaurant in Taman Kota Jaya, Kota Tinggi, Johor on April 19, 2026. — Bernama pic Earlier, Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said two local men and a foreign woman, aged 37 to 63, were shot dead at a restaurant in Taman Kota Jaya here this afternoon, allegedly with a shotgun.He said police received a report of the incident at about 1.30 pm, adding that the victims were pronounced dead at the scene.He said a 71-year-old local man was arrested about 200 metres from the scene at 2 pm to assist in the investigation, and a remand application will be made at the Kota Tinggi Magistrates’ Court today. — Bernama