At least three people have been killed in a shooting at a shopping mall in Thailand's capital Bangkok, according to medics. BBC reported that a 14-year-old suspect who had been using a handgun was arrested.
Yutthana Sretthanan, director of Bangkok’s Emergency Medical Center said that six people were wounded in the shooting incident at Siam Paragon Mall. Visuals shared on social media showed a large number of people fleeing the mall after gunfire was heard.
Witnesses said that some of them took to hiding inside shops and bathrooms to escape the gunfire. The situation has come under control after the suspect surrendered to police, said Police spokesman Archayon Kraithong.
In a post on X, Thai Prime Minister Sreetha Thavisin expressed condolences for the kin of those killed in the shooting at Siam Paragon Mall and commended the police for managing the situation quickly.
Prior to the arrest, first responders could be seen entering the mall as sirens wailed outside. Kraithong said officers in the area were ordered to secure the scene.
Although gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, mass shootings are rare in the country. This incident occurred days before Thais were planning to mark the anniversary after a disgruntled former police officer killed 36 people, including preschoolers and teachers, before taking his own life on October 6 last year.
The attacker was fired from his job and injured 10 people in that incident. The attack took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nongbua Lamphu.
In 2020, a disgruntled soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.
(with AP inputs)
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