Teen, 14, kills two people, injures 5 in shooting spree at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon
A 14-year-old boy went on a shooting spree inside Siam Paragon shopping mall in the heart of Bangkok on Tuesday evening, killing two foreigners — a Chinese citizen and a Myanmar worker — and injuring five others.
Initially, police had reported three deaths in walkie-talkie communication but the death toll was revised down to two. One person is critically injured.
The Chinese citizen died on the spot while the Myanmar worker succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Police have not released the names of the victims.
The unidentified gunman surrendered after he reportedly ran out of ammunition. He was arrested in a shop on the third floor. He had reportedly tried to flee through a passage from the mall linking to Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok. The hotel, however, had closed its entrance on the third floor.
People in the mall were urged to seek shelter shortly after 4pm when gunfire was heard. Terrified shoppers tried to flee the mall and many rushed into shops that opened their doors to let them in.
A survivor called Channel 3, saying True Shop had allowed many people to come inside and hide quietly in the inner part of the store.
After it was reported on TV at 5.15pm that the gun-wielding teen had been arrested, shoppers were urged to leave the mall.
As of 6pm, live reports on TV Channel 3 showed many shoppers and store staff leaving the mall, looking terrified.
Police reported that two injured victims were rushed to Police General Hospital, one to Chulalongkorn Hospital and another to Hua Chiew Hospital.
Police said the boy gave conflicting accounts when interrogated at the scene of the crime.
He claimed that he thought someone was going to attack him, so he took out his pistol to open fire.
Following the shooting incident, Prime Minster Srettha Thavisin posted on his X (formerly Twitter) that he had been informed of the incident.
He said he had asked police to ensure the safety of the people.
Srettha later told reporters at the Pheu Thai Party offices that the spokesman of the Royal Thai Police would reveal details of the incident soon but the situation had been brought under control after the gunman’s arrest.
A police source said the boy lived in the Bang Kae area.
Police reportedly found an automatic Glock 9mm pistol on him.
Following the incident, Royal Thai Police commissioner-general Pol General Torsak Sukvimol rushed to the scene with several senior police officers to oversee the situation.
A police source said that preliminary interrogation revealed the teen was addicted to shooting games on computer.
He was taken to the Pathumwan Police Station for legal action while his parents were summoned to the station.
Pol Colonel Noppadol Thiammekha, chief of the Pathumwan Police Station, said his station was alerted to the shooting at around 4pm.
He said the suspect was about 175cm tall, wearing black boots and tight clothes, “as if he was dressed to kill”.
Police took about an hour and 15 minutes to arrest the gun-wielding teen and bring the situation under control, the station chief said.
