14-year-old suspect arrested for shooting and killing 3 people at Thai shopping mall

Thailand's Metropolitan Police Investigation Department said on its Facebook page that a 14-year-old suspected gunman had been arrested and was being questioned over the incident at the Siam Paragon shopping mall.

Police arrest 14-year-old shooter. Photo: Thai Police

The emergency services agency shared an image of a police officer arresting and handcuffing an individual lying face down on the floor. The Central Bureau of Investigation had earlier posted a blurry image on its Facebook page of an individual it said was the gunman, wearing khaki pants and a baseball cap.

Video of shoppers fleeing after the shooting (source: YouTube/Independent)

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx7UG8SF7G0[/embed]

Videos on social media showed chaotic scenes, with people, including children, running out of the mall doors as the incident unfolded.

One of the videos showed people taking shelter in a dark room inside a restaurant, while live television showed long lines of people walking outside a shopping mall in pouring rain.

Video of police arresting the shooter (source: Thai Police/Daily Mail)

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Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand. A former police officer killed 22 children at a kindergarten last year in a gun and knife rampage.

In 2020, a soldier shot dead at least 29 people and injured 57 in an attack at four different locations in and around the northeastern Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed concern about the incident on Tuesday, saying: “I am aware of the shooting at Siam Paragon and have ordered the police to investigate. My main concern is public safety,” he posted on social media X.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, Daily Mail, AJ)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bat-nghi-pham-14-tuoi-xa-sung-sat-hai-3-nguoi-o-trung-tam-mua-sam-thai-lan-post267143.html