Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said the 71-year-old suspect was believed to have lent the money in stages since 2023 to help the woman manage her eatery. There was no written agreement between them.

“The woman was running the eatery owned by her in-laws, while the other two deceased were regular customers aged 61 and 63 who were at the scene,” Bernama reported him as saying at the Johor police headquarters today.

Ab Rahaman said at least six shots were fired, the shotgun shells of which investigators found at the scene.

He said the suspect, who holds a valid firearm licence issued in Kuantan, Pahang, tested negative for drugs and was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

The suspect has been remanded until this Sunday, and is expected to be charged with three counts of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code on Monday.

He was arrested on April 19, shortly after opening fire at the restaurant with a shotgun, killing three people.

Ab Rahaman previously said preliminary findings showed that the incident did not involve organised crime or terrorism.