One person was killed and six others injured in the shooting this afternoon at Siam Paragon, Thailand’s biggest shopping mall in central Bangkok, after which a 14-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene.
The latest update on the casualties was given by the Erawan medical emergency service which had earlier reported that three persons died. It said the deceased was a Chinese.
National police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, however, said two persons were killed and five injured.
Torsak confirmed that the suspect is a 14-year-old boy who has a record of mental problems. “He is not able to give police a coherent account of what happened. He only said that he was having hallucinations,” he said.
Torsak said police had yet to get in touch with the suspect’s parents before a full interrogation can be conducted.
The suspect was arrested about an hour after a gunman started shooting with a 9mm pistol at around 4 pm on the ground floor of the mall, sending hundreds of shoppers rushing toward the exits.
The gunman was cornered by a group of policemen on the third floor of the shopping mall. A video clip shows four policemen approach the suspect who showed no sign of putting up resistance.
He was seen on his knees with his hands raised above his head as two of the policemen apprehended him and forced him to lie face down.
Police chief Torsak praised the management of Siam Paragon for its quick reaction to the incident, having the compound quickly evacuated.
