Thai soldier kills 20 during live-streamed gun rampage
A THAI soldier yesterday killed at least 20 people in a live-streamed mass shooting before he holed up in a shopping mall.
The gunman opened fire at different locations in Nakhon Ratchasima in the north-east of Thailand, 155 miles from the capital Bangkok.
The shooter, identified by police as Sgt Major Jakapanth Thomma, 32, was still at large inside the Terminal 21 shopping mall last night, reportedly with a number of hostages.
A police officer in Nakhon Ratchasima, a rice growing area and one of the poorest regions in the country of 69 million, said the soldier had a row about a land deal and shot two people who were involved, another soldier and a woman.
The gunman stole an army vehicle and posted photos and video of himself on his Facebook account in full tactical gear as he carried out the attack.
At one point after the shooting had begun, the suspect posted: “Should I give up?” before his account became inaccessible. Another said: “Death is inevitable for everyone.”
In one Facebook video – since deleted – the assailant said: “I’m tired … I can’t pull my finger any more” and made a trigger symbol with his hand. Video and photos circulating online showed panicked scenes, with people fleeing and what appeared to be the sound of automatic gunfire.
According to doctors, a further 21 people were wounded in the rampage.
“We don’t know why he did this. It appears he went mad,” Kongcheep Tantrawanit, a defence ministry spokesman, said.
Police in the province said they had sealed off the shopping mall but had yet to capture the gunman.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world but mass shootings by soldiers are rare.
Several shootings at courthouses late last year renewed concern about gun violence in the south-east Asian country.
In one high-profile case, two lawyers were shot dead by a clerk at a court in the east of the country during a hearing over a land dispute.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand,” Facebook, which removed the live feed within minutes, said in a statement.