Bangkok: Police in Thailand arrested a 14-year-old boy on Tuesday after a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in the capital Bangkok left at least two people dead and five others injured.
The shooting took place at the Siam Paragon shopping mall, one of the largest and busiest malls in Bangkok. The gunman opened fire in the food court, sending shoppers running for cover.
Two people were killed in the shooting, including a Thai woman and a Japanese man. Five others were injured, including a Thai woman, a Japanese woman, and three Thai men as the shooting took place at around 4:20 PM local time.
Police Lt. General Samran Nualma, assistant commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police confirmed the incident at a press conference on Wednesday. Police said that the gunman was a 14-year-old boy who was armed with a pistol. The boy was arrested shortly after the shooting and is being held in police custody.
Police are still investigating the motive for the shooting. They say that the boy may have been targeting a specific person, but they are not ruling out other possibilities, such as a random act of violence.
The shooting has shocked the people of Thailand, and has raised concerns about gun violence in the country. Thailand has strict gun control laws, but there have been a number of high-profile shootings in recent years.
Earlier in 2019, a gunman opened fire at a university in Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and injuring dozens more. The gunman was later killed by police. Again in 2020, a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall in Korat, killing 27 people and injuring dozens more. The gunman was also later killed by police.