Following the shooting at the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok on Tuesday, the parents of the 14-year-old suspect broke their silence yesterday (Friday), by issuing a statement expressing their condolences to the families of the dead and injured and offering a profound apology to the public for the crime allegedly committed by their son.

They also apologised for not issuing the statement sooner, claiming that, after the shooting, they were engaged in the legal process regarding their son, who was ordered by the court to be held in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection.

The parents said that they did not apply for bail, because they want to cooperate fully with the authorities in their efforts find the motive behind the shooting.

“We were saddened and shocked by the incident and we agree to accept full responsibility, to the extent that we are able. We promise to give full cooperation to the police and other officials in the performance of duties, in accordance with the law, and to ease the impacts from the incident,” the statement read.

One Chinese national and a Myanmar national were killed and five other people were injured, two of them seriously, in the shooting by a minor using a modified blank-firing gun he bought online from a seller in Yala province.

The suspect’s father, whose identity was not disclosed, attended the funeral of the victim from Myanmar yesterday evening and provided an undisclosed amount of money to the victim’s family through her employer.

The man reportedly told the employer that he is deeply saddened by the shooting and is ready to take responsibility and compensate the victims and their families.