At least 21 people have been killed after a Thai soldier – who is still on the loose – went on a shooting spree and took hostages inside a shopping mall, sharing selfies on social media during his carnage.
The gunman opened fire, killing at least 20 visitors and injuring over 30, before taking hostages inside a busy Terminal 21 shopping center in Korat, also known as Nakhon Ratchasima, in northeast Thailand, on Saturday.
The suspect was identified as junior army officer Jakraphanth Thomma, who is reportedly a shooting instructor in his unit, and a sniper who has completed a special forces program. Before the carnage at the mall, he killed his commander and two others at a military base, and stole weapons, ammunition and a Humvee.
In a shootout with SWAT at the shopping mall’s parking lot on Sunday night, the gunman killed one special forces serviceman and injured another, bringing the death toll to at least 21.
The gunman is still on the loose, believed to be holed up in the basement of the shopping mall.
Videos shared on social media showed chaos and panic as people fled the scene. While local media said all civilians have been evacuated out of the mall and surrounding areas, Thai health minister expressed concerns that there could still be civilians inside, including injured people.
During the rampage, the suspect reportedly posted updates to his Facebook page, such as “No one can escape death,” and “Should I give up?”. Facebook has deleted the suspect’s account, denying reports that the murder spree was livestreamed on their platform.
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