Scene of shooting in Thailand looks like a zombie movie

Thai police have arrested a teenager suspected of being the perpetrator of a shooting at Siam Paragon, a high-end shopping mall in Bangkok on October 3.

At the scene, Thai police seized evidence of a Glock 9mm pistol - one of the most commonly used handguns in the world. (Source: Reuters)

Regarding the shooting, on the evening of October 3, National Police Chief General Torsak Sukvimol confirmed that the two victims who died were both women and foreigners, one of whom was Chinese and the other was Myanmar. Two of the five injured were also foreigners, including one Chinese man and one Laotian woman.

Thai police have successfully arrested the suspect, a 14-year-old boy, and taken him to Pathumwan Police Station for questioning. The boy had been treated for mental health issues at Rajavithi Hospital.

During a search of the suspect's home, police discovered a quantity of ammunition of various sizes, including 49 9mm bullets and 15 used bullets.

Image of people running in panic from Siam Paragon. (Source: Gutzy Asia)

Earlier, at the Siam Paragon shopping mall, residents said they heard gunshots coming from the restroom on the ground floor. The scene gradually became chaotic as people rushed to the emergency exit despite the pouring rain. In addition, security forces quickly arrived at the scene to urgently evacuate customers and employees.

Chinese tourist Xiong Ying, 41, told AFP that a store employee told everyone to run away because there was a gunman. People ran away in panic, making the scene look like something out of a zombie movie.

Thanpawasit Singthongkham, 31, an employee at a Japanese restaurant in the mall, said he heard 10 loud and continuous gunshots at around 4:30 p.m. Then the building activated its emergency signal and everyone tried to escape.

A day after the shooting, on October 4, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced that preventive measures would be taken to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The Singapore Embassy in Thailand advises Singaporeans to continue monitoring the situation through local media and follow the instructions of the Thai authorities. In addition, the Embassy maintains communication channels and updates the public if there are any new developments.

Siam Paragon is Thailand's most famous shopping mall with full amenities such as high-end stores, cinemas, a 10,000 ^m2 aquarium and a bustling dining area. In 2013, Instagram recognized Siam Paragon as the most photographed place in the world.

This is not the first time that the land of golden pagodas has been hit by a tragic shooting. In 2022, a former police officer killed 22 children in a kindergarten with a gun and a knife. In 2020, during clashes in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, a soldier shot dead at least 29 people and injured 57 others.

According to 2019 statistics from the World Population Review, Thailand ranked 15th globally and second in ASEAN in terms of gun deaths with 2,804 deaths. The country leading the list was Brazil with 49,436 deaths, followed by the US (37,038), Venezuela (28,515), Mexico (22,116), India (14,710) and Colombia (13,169).

Meanwhile, according to the Small Arms Survey (SAS) 2023, Thailand ranks 50th in the world in terms of gun ownership, with an average of 15 guns per 100 people. Thailand currently has more than 10.3 million legally registered guns and another 6.2 million illegal guns.

Topping the list is the United States, with 120 guns per 100 people. It is the only country in the world where the number of guns exceeds the number of people.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ca-nh-tuo-ng-vu-xa-su-ng-ta-i-tha-i-lan-gio-ng-nhu-phim-zombie-244763.html