Soldier Kills at Least 16 People During Mass Shooting at Thailand Mall
Written by SOURCE on February 8, 2020
At least 16 people are dead after a soldier opened fire in a Thailand mall, the New York Times reports.
A soldier identified as Sgt. Jakrapanth Thomma went on a rampage at a military base and a shopping mall in northeastern Thailand on Saturday. Police say that Thomma armed himself with an assault rifle and shot a superior officer and injured others on the Suthampitak Army Base in Nakhon Ratchasima Province before driving nine miles in a stolen humvee to the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Korat.
The incident reportedly began around 3:30 p.m. local time. The mall’s security camera footage shows Thomma walking past shops with a military-style weapon.
“The gunman used a machine gun and shot innocent victims resulting in many injured and dead,” a police spokesperson told the media.
Thomma’s motive for the shooting is still unclear. Yet a police officer told the Associated Press that he allegedly killed a woman and another soldier because of a land dispute. Additionally, Thomma posted a video of himself on Facebook on Saturday wearing a helmet.
“I’m tired now. I can’t move my finger anymore,” he said at one point in the video. He also updated his status during the shooting writing: “No one can escape death,” “Should I give up?” and other messages.
These posts and his page have since been deleted.
Although police tried to section off the mall where the shooting was taking place, people were still trapped inside for hours. Eventually, a rescue team was able to evacuate more than 100 people. At least 16 people were killed during the shooting. It’s still unknown how many victims were injured but authorities have alerted nearby hospitals that they will need blood donations.
