Teenager Goes On Killing Spree At Bangkok Mall

Police in Thailand have arrested a 14-year-old in connection with a deadly shooting at a luxury shopping mall in Bangkok.

At least two people have died and five others sustained injuries in the incident that took place on Tuesday at Siam Paragon, one of Bangkok's biggest shopping destinations. The victims were from China and Myanmar. Three Thai citizens also sustained injuries in the attack.

According to local media reports, the boy used a mock handgun that had been modified to fire real bullets. He was taken into custody less than an hour after the shooting.

Police Chief Torsak Sukvimol has said that the boy has a history of mental illness. However, the police have not been able to ascertain the motive behind the attack, per CNN. The boy used to attend a prominent school located near the mall itself. The headteacher of the private school has confirmed that he was their student.

"While the case is still under investigation and some details cannot be shared, please rest assured that the appropriate measures are being taken. The government's priority is to ensure the safety of Thais and foreigners alike and that such tragedies are prevented in the future," CNN quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke as saying.

Several videos of the shooting have made it to social media. Shoppers can be seen fleeing the scene in terror after hearing gunshot sounds.

"As soon as the incident occurred, the police and Siam Paragon's security team immediately evacuated customers and employees from the building, prioritising the safety of all customers, employees, and tenants," read a statement from Siam Paragon.

Last year, a former police officer shot dead at least 37 people, most of them children, after storming a nursery in what was termed one of the deadliest mass killings in Thailand. The gunman, identified as Panya Khamrab, later went home and killed his wife and children before taking his own life.

The mass shooting took place at a childcare centre in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province. The police officer was sacked for drug use months before he went on a killing spree in December 2022.

In 2020, a soldier shot 29 people dead in a 17-hour killing spree before he was shot dead by commandos. He stole assault rifles from an army depot before he opened fire at other soldiers.

In a similar incident reported in 2022, an army officer shot dead two colleagues at a military training base in the capital Bangkok. Sergeant Major Yongyuth Mungkornkim, a clerk at the Royal Thai Army War College, shot at three soldiers in September last year. The 59-year-old surrendered himself after the shooting.

In 2017, at least eight people, including three children, were shot dead in a mass shooting incident in Thailand. The incident took place in the southern province of Krabi, a popular beach destination.

About six gunmen reportedly stormed the house of the village chief and held the inhabitants hostage for several hours before going on a shooting spree. The attackers fled the scene after killing them. The village chief, who was among the victims, was reportedly involved in "many disputes" in the area.

While Thailand has a high number of people owning guns for self-protection, mass organised shootings are reported to be rare. Thailand had the highest reported gun-related homicide rate when compared to nine other countries in Asia, according to 2016 data from the University of Washington.

Gun violence is not uncommon in the country even though it has strict gun laws. There are around 10 guns per 100 people in Thailand, including the ones that are illegally owned, according to GunPolicy.org, a research project at Australia's University of Sydney.