Fourteen year old suspected gunman arrested after killing at least four in Thai shopping mall shooting
3 October 2023, 12:14 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 12:27
A 14-year-old suspected gunman has been arrested after reportedly opening fire on a Bangkok mall, killing at least four.
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Four other people were injured in the incident. A suspect, 14, has been arrested with local media reporting he was carrying a pistol.
Footage on social media earlier showed shoppers and staff fleeing the centre.
The centre as well as nearby Siam metro station were closed. People have also posted videos, apparently taken from inside the mall.
In one video, four loud noises which sound like gunshots can be clearly heard in the busy complex.
Witnesses also reported online that they had taken to hiding inside shops and bathrooms in a bid to evade the gunman.
Emergency services said four people had been killed and several wounded, while Thai police said the arrested suspect is just 14-years-old.
One of those injured is a foreign national.
Photos show police handcuffing the suspect on the floor and picking up a gun.
The police shared an image on Facebook of the alleged attacker wearing a cap and khaki cargo trousers.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin posted on X: "I am aware of the shooting event at Siam Paragon and have
ordered the police to investigate. I am most worried about public safety,"
มีคนยิงกันพารากอน ห้ามมาเด็ดขาดวิ่งกันตีนแตกมาก #พารากอน pic.twitter.com/TCMuBQ6Vi5
— หน่องเจน (@janejanejuta) October 3, 2023
One of the videos showed people taking cover in a darkened room inside a restaurant, while live television showed long queues of traffic outside the mall in torrential rain.
Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand. An ex-police officer killed 22 children in a nursery last year during a gun-and-knife attack, while in 2020 a soldier shot and killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four sites in and around the northeastern Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
Police spokesperson Achayon Kraithong said the national police chief had ordered and dispatched officers to control the area to resolve the situation
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