A man was arrested on Sunday in Kampong Thom province’s Prasat Balang district after allegedly accidentally shooting his wife to death while cleaning a homemade air rifle before going hunting, police said yesterday.

District police chief of staff Nuon Kumnit yesterday identified the man as 21-year-old farmer Toeun Rom, and the victim as 20-year-old Yong Toeu. Kumnit said Rom told police he had been cleaning the air gun when the gun accidentally discharged, firing a projectile into Toeu’s throat as she slept in a nearby hammock.

Toeu died immediately. “At the moment, the suspect has been [preliminarily] charged with unintentional murder, and the evidence was impounded,” she added. “The suspect was sent to the Kampong Thom Provincial Court for further procedures.”