The director (headmaster) of a Sing Buri school is now in police custody as a suspect in the case of the lone of being the lone gunman in a gold shop robbery at the Robinson’s Shopping Centre in Lop Buri province on January 9. Three people, including a two year old boy, were shot and killed, another four were injured as a result of the shooting.

The armed gunman, carrying a 9mm pistol and fitted with a silencer, escaped after his shooting rampage, with gold jewellery valued at 450,000 baht worth of (some media report higher amounts up to 680,000 baht).

The 38 year old suspect has been identified as Prasitthichai Khaokaew, and is currently in custody. Police allege the man has confessed to the crime.

Amnart Wicchayanuwat, secretary-general of the Office of Basic Education Commission, says they will set up a committee to consider dismissal of the school director if he is found guilty of the offences, as charged.

In the days after robbery, the Royal Thai Police issued a shoot-to-kill order and a bounty was offered for information leading to his apprehension. Over the weekend police reported that had been speaking to a suspect over the incident. It has not been confirmed if Prasitthichai Khaokaew was the man who police were questioning over the weekend.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

Police have arrested a man in conjunction with the Lopburi gold shop shootings on January 9. The man is a 38 years old school headmaster from Sing Buri, the adjoining province to the west of Lop Buri in central Thailand. Police report that he has confessed to the shooting of the customers and staff, resulting in three deaths, including a two year old boy, and four others.

The man’s identity has been reported as Prasitichai Khaokaew in khaosod.co.th.

Police have not confirmed if he is the same man that they were interviewing late last week over the robbery.

The armed man walked into the Aurora gold shop inside the Robinsons Shopping mall on the Phahon Yothin Highway at 8.44pm on January 9, just before closing time. He strode in and started shooting at customers and staff. He then jumped on top of the glass counter, snatched three trays of gold necklaces valued around 450,000 baht, and then shot a security guard dead before fleeing on a Yamaha motorcycle.

The entire incident lasted around a minute.

Police suspected that the gold wasn’t the target of the fatal heist due to the low amount of gold stolen and the brutality of the shootings.

More information about the arrest when it comes to hand.

Police in the northeastern province of Nong Khai are confident they’ve identified a suspect in the January 9 gold shop robbery and shooting in the central Lop Buri province that killed three people, including a two-year boy, and injured four others. The man was summoned for questioning.

National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda says that the man, whose identity is currently being withheld, matches the suspect’s profile, being around the same height and spotted carrying a red shoulder bag, the same as used by the robber. Chakthip says if DNA test results disqualify the man as a suspect, he’ll be released.

Police have checked footage from about 1,000 CCTV cameras installed along routes that were likely used by the gunman when he fled, but found no clues that could lead to an arrest.

Deputy national police chief Chaiwat Kateworachai, meanwhile, asked the robber to turn himself in within 10 days (assuming that the current suspect isn’t charged).

“He will be caught sooner or later.”

SOURCE: Thai PBS World