Chinese and Burmese killed, 5 injured, twins rescued in shooting rampage at Siam Paragon Bangkok
The shooting rampage at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon shopping mall yesterday tragically claimed the lives of a Chinese woman and a Burmese woman, and injured five others while a brave Thai woman rescued Chinese twins after their mother was killed.
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) announced that the shooting occurred at the mall yesterday afternoon, October 3, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, not three as originally reported. Among the five injured, there are three Thai nationals, one Chinese individual, and one Laotian.
The 14 year old gunman was apprehended on the mall’s third floor at about 5.06pm. He is currently in police custody, although he has not yet been questioned due to concerns about his mental state. The interrogation will be conducted by a psychologist.
A Thai woman took to Twitter (X) yesterday to share the story of the Chinese couple’s daughter. She included a picture of the children with the caption.
“Sad story. I was fleeing the chaos in Siam Paragon when I met Chinese twins. Their mother was shot and they could not find her. I tried everything to help them. I tried to communicate with them using the translator app, but my phone’s batteries were dying and I only had 1% left.
“They asked me if their mother was going to die. I said no and tried to calm them down. I took them to the police and the officers told us that the children’s mother had already died. I cried so hard. I feel sorry for them. They should have faced this. Today is a very sad day.”
According to the report, the Chinese woman was shot in the ground floor bathroom where the shots were fired and died at the scene. Meanwhile, the Burmese victim sustained a gunshot wound to the neck and tragically passed away in the hospital. Among the injured victims, a Thai woman suffered severe injuries, enduring a gunshot wound to the head.
Siam Paragon expresses its condolences
Siam Paragon, the scene of the shooting, expressed its condolences to the victims and their families in both Thai and Chinese.
The mall expressed its willingness to take care of the victims until they recover.
The mall also expressed its gratitude to police officers, rescue volunteers and security guards who managed to control the situation with full force in a short time.
The shopping mall also opened a lost & found counter on the ground floor in the south zone of the mall to facilitate visitors and customers whose belongings are still in the shopping mall area.
Mental health problems blamed
RTP commissioner Torsak Sukvimol said yesterday that officers initially questioned the teenage killer’s motive, and the gunman said he had a mental health problem and had been treated at Rajavithi Hospital. He added that he had not taken his prescribed medication for some time before committing the crime.
Torsak revealed that the gunman claimed that he felt that someone was telling him to kill. The gunman said he saw another version of himself telling him to do things.
Torsak noted that the gunman’s statements had been confusing, and further interrogation would be pursued once his mental condition stabilises.
Authorities searched the shooter’s residence, uncovering a BB gun, M16 bullets, shotgun shells, and 9mm bullets, raising concerns about the availability of firearms.
Survival security guard tells his story
A mall security guard survived the shooting and provided insights into the incident. He remarked that the teenage perpetrator did not exhibit the characteristics of a mentally ill person.
The guard recounted that the gunman pointed and fired at him but he managed to dodge the shots. The gunman then let him go and moved on, looking for his next victim. According to the security guard, the teenage suspect did not shoot randomly. He chose the victim carefully before opening fire.
Many Thai netizens have applauded the mall security personnel for their dedication to safeguarding visitors and commended the staff members of each store for their kindness in providing shelter to those in need.
A Chinese man shared on social media that he once met the gunman at a shooting range and recalled that the teenage perpetrator fired at a target more than 100 times.
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