Kaohsiung: A wanted man was shot dead in Kaohsiung's Zuoying District on Friday morning in what authorities believe to be related to a debt dispute.

According to Focus Taiwan, the deceased, identified as a 51-year-old man surnamed Lo, was wanted by authorities for crimes relating to theft and fraud. The police stated that Lo, who resided near Zuoying's Wenxue Road, met with an unidentified man on Friday morning, and the two quickly became embroiled in an argument.

The argument escalated when the man shot at Lo 12 times, with five bullets striking him in vital areas such as the head and neck, resulting in his death. The suspect fled the scene in a white sedan.

Onsite evidence collected by police and crime scene investigators included eight bullet casings found at the scene and four others grouped nearby. Surveillance footage revealed that the suspect drove the white car to a park near Lo's residence early Friday and waited there. The argument and subsequent shooting occurred shortly after Lo left his residence.

Police suspect the argument stemmed from a dispute over a debt, though the exact amount and the nature of the relationship between the two men remain unconfirmed. Authorities later found the white sedan torched at a rural intersection of Jiadian Street and Tianzhong Road in Ciaotou District.

The Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office is leading the investigation. During a public appearance on Friday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai informed reporters that Kaohsiung Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien had notified him of the incident. Mayor Chen assured that authorities have already identified the suspect and promised the police will apprehend those responsible.