Police in Thailand arrested a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of being armed after a shooting on Tuesday at a luxury shopping mall in the capital Bangkok that authorities said killed three people and wounded four others.
The chaos erupted after reports of gunfire in the late afternoon near peak shopping hours at the Siam Paragon mall, among the city’s most popular shopping and leisure spots and a draw for foreign tourists.
Police said a 14-year-old male suspected of being the gunman has been arrested and is being questioned.
Emergency services shared images of a police officer arresting and handcuffing an individual lying on the ground and another of an officer picking up a gun from the floor.
Hundreds of people, including children, were earlier seen pouring out of shopping malls in Bangkok’s commercial heart into heavy rain, according to videos on social media verified by Reuters.
Police and rescue officers stand outside the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok on Oct. 3. 2023. AFP via Getty Images Police in Thailand arrested a 14-year-old boy suspected of being armed after a shooting on Tuesday at a luxury shopping mall in the capital Bangkok.Getty Images
“It happened in just a few minutes. We saw everyone running, running, running, we didn’t understand what was happening,” said 26-year-old Shir Yahav from Israel, who was in the designer store at the time of the shooting.
“We went with them and then we heard some shots, like six or seven shots. We blocked the door of the shop.”
Gun violence and gun ownership are not uncommon in Thailand and the incident comes a year after a former police officer killed 36 people, including himself and 22 children, at a nursery during an hours-long gun and knife attack.
The 14-year-old suspected shooter was wearing a hat with an American flag on it. Emergency services shared an image of a police officer arresting and handcuffing an individual lying on the ground. Central Bureau of Investigation /AFP via Getty Images
In 2020, a soldier shot and killed at least 29 people and injured 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations around the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
The Central Bureau of Investigation earlier posted a crude image on its Facebook page showing the suspected gunman dressed in khaki cargo pants and a baseball cap.
A high-profile shopping mall
Siam Paragon is Thailand’s most famous shopping mall, attracting crowds with luxury shops, an aquarium, a movie theater and a very popular food court.
In 2013, it was named the most photographed place in the world by Instagram.
The incident happened at the Siam Paragon shopping center.Getty Images Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand. AFP via Getty Images People rush out of the Siam Paragon shopping mall. AFP via Getty Images
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed concern over the incident.
“I am aware of the shooting event at Siam Paragon … I am most concerned about public safety,” he wrote on social media X.
A large number of people crowded around the streets outside and on elevated walkways after the incident, which took place in a busy commercial zone that connects to an elevated train network and a series of other shopping malls.
The shooter killed three people and wounded four others. AFP via Getty Images Hundreds of people, including children, were earlier seen leaving the mall.Getty Images
Susinee, a 35-year-old restaurant worker, said she and her co-workers ran out of their Japanese ramen shop when they heard gunshots.
“We just ran out,” he said as he stood with half a dozen of his colleagues.
The mall said it had evacuated shoppers and staff immediately, stressing safety was paramount.
“Siam Paragon would like to express its deepest apologies for the unexpected incident,” he said in a statement.
“The authorities were able to control the situation and arrest the perpetrators.”
Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um, Devjyot Ghoshal, Pasit Kongkunakornkul, Napat Wesshasartar, Artorn Pookasook, Athit Perawongmetha and Sun Cong; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty and Gareth Jones
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
