DENPASAR, Bali — Police investigating the shooting at a popular bar in Bali’s Canggu tourism district now believe the suspect fled the island shortly after the attack, with authorities saying he is thought to have traveled to Jakarta as the nationwide manhunt enters a new phase.
“We are continuing the pursuit. The shooting suspect is believed to have flown to Jakarta,” Badung Police Chief AKBP Joseph Edward Purba said on Saturday, July 18.
Investigators have not publicly released the suspect’s identity or nationality, and police have not disclosed whether an arrest warrant has been issued.
Shooting Left Two People Injured
The shooting occurred at approximately 2:50 a.m. on Friday, July 17, inside The Shady Pig, a bar on Jalan Pantai Berawa in Canggu, one of Bali’s busiest nightlife and tourism areas.
According to police, the incident began with an altercation between the suspected gunman and a 25-year-old Chinese national, identified only by the initials EA. A 32-year-old security guard, identified by the initials IMYM, stepped in to separate the two.
Police said the suspect then fired a single shot.
“The security guard positioned himself directly in front of the second victim. The bullet passed through the security guard’s left thigh before lodging in the left thigh of the foreign national standing behind him,” Joseph said.
Both victims survived the shooting and received medical treatment.
Investigators Reviewing Evidence
Police said officers from the Badung Police Criminal Investigation Unit and North Kuta Police immediately secured the crime scene, interviewed witnesses, and collected forensic evidence.
Authorities have also requested official medical examination reports (visum et repertum) from the hospitals treating the two victims as part of the criminal investigation.
Among the evidence recovered from the scene were blood-stained clothing belonging to the victims, a pair of black-and-white shoes, black socks, a white T-shirt, two torn pairs of black jeans, a red checkered cloth, and a copper-colored bullet projectile, which investigators say is one of the key pieces of forensic evidence.
“We have secured all of the victims’ clothing and the bullet projectile as primary evidence. Our focus now is on locating the suspect so we can establish the motive behind the shooting,” Joseph said.
Investigation Continues
Police have not yet disclosed what triggered the confrontation or whether the suspect and the injured Chinese national knew each other before the incident.
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as officers coordinate efforts to locate and apprehend the suspect, who is believed to have left Bali shortly after the shooting.
