Thai Soldier Fatally Shoots More Than 10 People, Flees to Popular Shopping Mall: Police

The city and neighborhood police officers, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to release information, said the man took a gun from his base and drove to the Terminal 21 mall, shooting along the way. The city is also known as Korat.

Video taken outside the mall and shared on social media showed people taking cover in a parking lot as gunshots were fired.

The mall was shut down and the street outside was closed while the authorities tried to arrest the gunman and rescue shoppers inside.

Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich identified the suspect as Jakrapanth Thomma. He said police and military units had locked down the mall and the surrounding area.

The soldier was no novice, but a Sgt Major.

You can see a news video on the perp on this facebook feed:

https://www.facebook.com/SamNgocLinh/videos/3237596849588065/

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Detailed News here:

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NAKHON RATCHASIMA: At least 17 people were reported killed and many more injured in a shooting spree by a soldier who later took hostages at a local shopping mall on Saturday evening.

There were “17 deaths, 14 wounded” said an unnamed official from the Bangkok-based Erawan Center, the nationwide emergency services dispatch centre that collates hospital information.

The carnage began when the assailant stole weapons and ammunition and shot dead his commander and two others at the Surathampithak army camp before fleeing in a stolen Humvee. He fired at civilians along the route to the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Muang district.

“The gunman used a machine gun and shot innocent victims resulting in many injured and dead,” said Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen, the police spokesman.

Local media showed video of the soldier getting out of a vehicle in front of the mall around 6pm and firing a series of shots, sending people running. Gunshots could be heard on the video.

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The attacker then fired at a cooking gas cylinder, setting off an explosion and fire. Video clips showed people running away and cowering behind cars as thunderous shots rang out.

There were unconfirmed reports that the man had hand grenades on his body.

Troops from a special warfare unit were dispatched to the mall, where the attacker was said to be holding 16 people hostage on the fourth floor.

Police Crime Suppression Division commandos were also on the scene. Police were taking the man’s mother from Chaiyaphum province to Korat in hopes that she could persuade him to surrender.

Around 8.30pm, it was reported that special forces troops were preparing to “engage” the shooter inside the shopping centre. But the immediate focus was on safely evacuating the hundreds of shoppers and workers who were still trapped inside.

The army asked media outlets to stop providing live coverage in order to avoid giving the suspect information about official activities. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission also warned that smartphone videos being streamed by people inside the mall were a potential threat to security operations.

The attacker streamed his earlier activity at the mall on Facebook Live and posted a selfie showing him holding a rifle. “Tired, I can barely move my fingers,” he said on a video posted at 7.20pm.

The Facebook page was taken offline a few moments later. Facebook later confirmed that it had removed the account and would also take down “any other violating content related to this attack”.

“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand. There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack,” a Facebook representative said in a statement.

Other text messages posted before the page was taken down included “Should I surrender?” and “Oh shit, I’ve got cramps in my hand.” An earlier post said, “Nobody can avoid death”, and another one read, “Being rich from taking advantage of others, do they think they can use money in hell?”

Lt Gen Thanya Kriatisarn, commander of the Second Army Region, said police and soldiers were hunting the attacker, identified as Sgt Maj Jakrapanth Thomma, 32, of the Surathampithak camp.

The slain commander has been identified as Col Anantharot Krasae, 48, with whom the gunman was reported to have had a conflict. His 63-year-old mother-in law was also killed at the camp, along with another soldier.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1853334/17-killed-as-soldier-opens-fire-in-korat

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