Police are searching for five men after a supervisor at a Phnom Penh beer garden was shot dead and a security guard seriously injured on Friday night.

Chief of Chamkarmon District Police, Ouch Sokhorn, said yesterday that authorities are investigating the death of 35-year-old Prum Veasna, who was killed near The Best Club in Boueng Keng Kang II commune at about midnight on Friday.

“We have now identified a group of young people who [we believe] shot the supervisor dead and injured a security guard,” he said.

“We hope that they will be arrested soon.”

The supervisor was shot three times in the chest and died immediately ... the security guard was shot in his stomach

Chum Koy, Police Chief of BKK II commune, said that the supervisor and the guard, named as Meng Phearom, are thought to have tried to break up two groups of drunk men who were arguing over dancing at the venue.

After asking five men to leave, and in order to ensure this group would not return, the pair got on a motorbike to patrol the streets.

The ejected men are believed to have been hiding in a dark spot, around 100 metres from the bar.

“The killer then fired about 11 bullets at them when they passed by on a motorbike,” he said.

“The supervisor was shot three times in the chest and died immediately. The security guard was shot in his stomach and was seriously injured.”

Following the shooting, the group of men escaped on two motorbikes.

“According to our investigation, I think that this is a case of murder. However, to prevent other people from committing such crimes in the future, we will work hard to arrest and bring the killers to trial,” he said.

The supervisor’s body, following an inspection, has been passed on to his family for a funeral. The wounded man is being treated at Phnom Penh’s Calmette hospital.