A shooting incident occurred at the Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, on Tuesday afternoon. The shooter opened fire inside the mall, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. The suspect was apprehended by authorities less than an hour after the initial gunshots were reported. The Siam Paragon Mall is a prominent shopping destination known for its upscale offerings, including high-end fashion, luxury cars, a cinema, an aquarium, and the five-star Siam Kempinski hotel.
According to Yutthana Sretthanan, director of Bangkok’s Emergency Medical Center, three people were killed, and six others were injured in the shooting. The incident took place just days before the anniversary of a tragic gun and knife attack at a rural day care center in northeastern Thailand, which claimed the lives of 36 people, primarily preschoolers, in 2022.
In response to the shooting, authorities closed access to the nearby Siam elevated train stop, preventing commuters from exiting the transit station during the evening rush hour. Witnesses reported seeing people running and hearing gunshots, with the lights in the mall going out. Videos shared on social media showed individuals fleeing the building, as well as a person dressed in a baseball cap, dark shirt, and camouflage pants holding a handgun. Subsequent footage depicted the apparent surrender of the shooter to the police.
While gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, mass shootings are relatively rare. In 2020, a disgruntled soldier carried out a shooting spree in and around a mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, resulting in the deaths of 29 people before he was eventually killed by security forces after a 16-hour standoff.
