Three people were killed, and six were injured after a 14-year-old gunman opened fire at a busy mall in the capital city of Thailand on Tuesday afternoon, October 3, according to reports.
Gunfire Rang Out
Less than an hour after the initial shots were heard, police announced they had captured a suspect inside the Siam Paragon Mall, one of Bangkok's largest and most luxurious shopping malls.
In an interview with reporters, including AP News, police spokesperson Archayon Kraithong assured the public that everything was under control at the posh shopping center. The luxury mall is also where the five-star Siam Kempinski Hotel can be found.
Bangkok Emergency Medical Center director Yutthana Sretthanan reported three deaths and six injuries.
An AP News reporter at the site said that after the shooting on Tuesday, officials blocked access to the adjacent Siam elevated train stop, preventing people from leaving the transport station as evening rush hour started and torrential rain struck the city.
There were sirens outside, and emergency personnel could be seen entering the shopping center.
Witnesses saw large numbers of people leaving the facility, which was one of many retail complexes in the region frequented by tourists and well-off locals alike.
Chinese tourist Liu Shiying told the AP News that she heard others screaming, claiming someone had opened fire. She said that the mall's lights suddenly went out, along with gunshots and the sound of an alarm. People had gone into hiding for the time being, according to her.
Shir Yahav from Israel was at a designer store when shots were fired. "It happened in just a few minutes. We saw all the people run ... We went with them, and then we heard several shots, like six or seven shots. We blocked the door of the store," she told Reuters.
People could be seen sprinting from the building in the footage circulating online. In a separate video, a person with a baseball hat, black shirt, and camouflage trousers was seen wielding a firearm. A subsequent video seemed to show the gunman, who is a 14-year-old, turning himself up to police.
Teen, 14, kills three people in shooting spree at Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok, Thailand. pic.twitter.com/29m3BALQpQ
— Channel3 Now (@channel3nownews) October 3, 2023
Gun Violence in Thailand
Gun violence is widespread in Thailand, while major shootings are unusual.
This tragedy occurred a few days before the Thai people were set to commemorate the anniversary of a horrific gun and knife assault on a rural daycare facility in a northeastern region. The incident happened on October 6, 2022, and murdered 36 people, the vast majority of whom were preschoolers.
In 2020, a disgruntled soldier in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, located in the country's northeast, opened fire on a shopping center. This killed 29 people and held off security troops for 16 hours until he was himself slain.
