Two men have been arrested in the southern province of Yala today (Thursday), for allegedly selling a modified blank-firing pistol to the suspect in the shooting spree at the Siam Paragon shopping mall yesterday, in which two people died and five others were injured.
The two suspects were identified only as “Suwannahong” and “Akkarawit”. Police also found 209 blank cartridges of unknown calibre, 33 gun barrels, nine magazines, 27 tools used for gun modification and two bank books in Suwannahong’s house.
Police allege that Suwannahong withdrew cash from an ATM at a gas station, after he received money wired to his account by the suspected shooter for the purchase of a Glock 19 replica, which was modified to shoot live ammunition.
A third suspect is still at large.
One Chinese and one Myanmar national were shot dead and five others injured, two of whom are still in the intensive care unit at Chulalongkorn Hospital.
The suspect in the shootings, a 14-year-old boy, has been charged with murder, attempted murder as well as possessing and carrying firearms without permission.
Since blank-firing guns and BB guns are not considered firearms under the Thai firearms law, they are easily available over the counter or online. There is also no age limit for buyers. Modification of blank firing guns is, however, strictly illegal.
