February 08, 2020, 11:49 PM
A Thai soldier shot and killed more than 10 people in northeastern Thailand on Saturday (Feb. 8).
According to Associated Press, the suspect is a man known as Jakrapanth Thomma. He is currently hiding in a shopping mall.
Police and military units have locked down the mall and the surrounding area in a bid to arrest the gunman and rescue the trapped shoppers inside.
The shooter is still inside the mall, as of 10:30 pm, and the total number of people killed or wounded is not immediately known.
Shooter posted on social media before and during the attack
Associated Press reported that the man initially shot dead a fellow soldier and a woman, and wounded a third person, in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
He then took a gun from his base and drove to the Terminal 21 mall and shot a few people on his way.
Thai media reported that he travelled in a military vehicle.
The mall belongs to the same chain as the popular Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok.
According to South China Morning Post, the man had posted on his Facebook page earlier in the day, saying that "Death is inevitable for everyone".
He also posted a picture of what appeared to be his hand holding a gun.
https://twitter.com/IsraelSunrise/status/1226147176834686984
During the shooting, he also posted "Should I give up?", before his account became inaccessible.
Really surreal watching an active shooter post status updates on Facebook.
— Than (@thanr) February 8, 2020
This guy has killed 14 people so far in Korat. His latest two statuses say "Should I surrender (give up)?" and "Well I stopped already".#กราดยิงโคราช pic.twitter.com/q9BcNRJWk0
Videos of the shooting have surfaced online, showing panicked shoppers fleeing the mall and what appeared to be the shooter's automatic gunfire.
https://twitter.com/ISCResearch/status/1226133603656007680
A fire also broke out due to an explosion outside the mall during the attack.
https://twitter.com/ISCResearch/status/1226136591728627713
Social media updates show wounded people being transferred to a hospital.
https://twitter.com/ISCResearch/status/1226145990027206657
He also reportedly posted on social media that he would rather "die than be trapped and caught".
the shooter said, "I'd rather die than be trapped and caught." #กราดยิงโคราช. #savekorat pic.twitter.com/ZJZCBlI74A
— hㅎฮ5 (@hotnaespicy) February 8, 2020
The situation is still developing.
Top image from ISCResearch's Twitter.
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