Thai authorities have apprehended a 14-year-old individual believed to be the gunman responsible for a shooting at a luxurious shopping center in the heart of Bangkok that claimed the lives of three people and left four others injured. The Metropolitan Police Detective Department revealed on its official Facebook page that the young suspect had been taken into custody and was currently undergoing questioning in connection with the incident that occurred at the renowned Siam Paragon mall.
Disturbing images circulated on social media, one of which portrayed a law enforcement officer detaining the individual and securing them in handcuffs while lying face down on the mall’s floor. Earlier, the Central Investigation Bureau had shared a grainy photograph on their Facebook page, identifying the individual as the alleged gunman, who was seen wearing khaki cargo pants and a baseball cap.
Unverified videos circulating on various social media platforms depicted scenes of chaos, as shoppers, including children, fled the mall while security personnel guided them to safety. Some footage showed terrified individuals seeking refuge in a dimly lit room within a restaurant, while live television broadcasts captured long queues of vehicles outside the mall amid heavy rainfall.
Regrettably, gun violence incidents are not uncommon in Thailand. Just last year, a former police officer carried out a horrifying attack in which 22 children lost their lives at a nursery, involving both guns and knives. Similarly, in 2020, a soldier went on a rampage across four locations in and around the northeastern Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 29 people and the injury of 57 others.
Expressing his deep concern over the recent incident, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin took to social media to convey his thoughts. “I am aware of the shooting event at Siam Paragon and have ordered the police to investigate. I am most worried about public safety,” he posted on X social media.
