20 dead, 31 hurt in Thai mass shooting as gunman hides in mall
''An airport-themed mall filled with colorful Lego sculptures, a merry-go-round and huge replicas of landmarks from around the world became a shooting gallery Saturday as a Thai soldier opened fire during the mid-afternoon rush. Officials say at least 20 were killed and 31 injured.
Defence Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich said Sgt. Jakrapanth Thomma was behind the attack at the Terminal 21 Korat mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, a hub for Thailand’s relatively poorer and rural northeastern region. Officials say he was angry over a land dispute.
Shortly before midnight, police announced they had secured the entire mall, but were still searching for the shooter. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there were no more bodies left inside, but added, “we don’t know whether there are any additional injuries or deaths or not.”
It was the country’s second mass shooting in about a month.''
The man believed to be the gunman appears to have posted updates to his Facebook page during the rampage.
“No one can escape death,” read one post. Another asked, “Should I give up?” In a later post, he wrote, “I have stopped already.”
Jakrapanth’s profile picture shows him in a mask and dressed in military-style fatigues and armed with a pistol. The background image is of a handgun and bullets.
In a photo circulated on social media that appeared to be taken from his Facebook page, the suspect can be seen wearing a green camouflaged military helmet while a fireball and black smoke rage behind him. The Facebook page was made inaccessible after the shooting began.
The gunman could scarcely have chosen a more target-rich environment in which to vent his rage''.
''The multi-level glass and steel mall is designed to resemble an airport terminal, complete with a mock control tower and departure gates. A large model passenger jet dangles from wires beside one of the main escalators.
Each of its seven retail floors is decorated to represent a different country. A giant replica of Paris’ Eiffel Tower soars to the ceiling, while a model of London’s Big Ben dominates another area, and a massive model of California’s Golden Gate Bridge spans an open courtyard. A two-story golden Oscar statue towers over a food court.''
''An airport-themed mall filled with colorful Lego sculptures, a merry-go-round and huge replicas of landmarks from around the world became a shooting gallery Saturday as a Thai soldier opened fire during the mid-afternoon rush. Officials say at least 20 were killed and 31 injured.
Defence Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich said Sgt. Jakrapanth Thomma was behind the attack at the Terminal 21 Korat mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, a hub for Thailand’s relatively poorer and rural northeastern region. Officials say he was angry over a land dispute.
Shortly before midnight, police announced they had secured the entire mall, but were still searching for the shooter. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said there were no more bodies left inside, but added, “we don’t know whether there are any additional injuries or deaths or not.”
It was the country’s second mass shooting in about a month.''
The man believed to be the gunman appears to have posted updates to his Facebook page during the rampage.
“No one can escape death,” read one post. Another asked, “Should I give up?” In a later post, he wrote, “I have stopped already.”
Jakrapanth’s profile picture shows him in a mask and dressed in military-style fatigues and armed with a pistol. The background image is of a handgun and bullets.
In a photo circulated on social media that appeared to be taken from his Facebook page, the suspect can be seen wearing a green camouflaged military helmet while a fireball and black smoke rage behind him. The Facebook page was made inaccessible after the shooting began.
The gunman could scarcely have chosen a more target-rich environment in which to vent his rage''.
''The multi-level glass and steel mall is designed to resemble an airport terminal, complete with a mock control tower and departure gates. A large model passenger jet dangles from wires beside one of the main escalators.
Each of its seven retail floors is decorated to represent a different country. A giant replica of Paris’ Eiffel Tower soars to the ceiling, while a model of London’s Big Ben dominates another area, and a massive model of California’s Golden Gate Bridge spans an open courtyard. A two-story golden Oscar statue towers over a food court.''
