Thailand shopping mall shooting: Police arrest suspected gunman, 14, after 3 killed in Bangkok

A 14-year-old suspected gunman has been arrested after a shooting at a popular mall in Bangkok, Thailand which killed three people and injured four others. The Metropolitan Police Detective Department said on its Facebook page that the youngster had been arrested and was being questioned over the incident at the Siam Paragon mall.

An image of a police officer arresting and handcuffing an individual was shared by the emergency services. Earlier, the Central Investigation Bureau posted a grainy image on its Facebook page of an individual they said was the gunman, dressed in khaki cargo trousers and a baseball cap.

Unverified footage on social media showed scenes of chaos, with people running out of the doors of the mall while security guards ushered them one. One of the videos showed people taking cover inside what appears to be a food hall, with gunshots can be heard in the background. 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed concern over the incident. He posted on X, formerly Twitter: "I am aware of the shooting event at Siam Paragon and have ordered the police to investigate. I am most worried about public safety.”

In Thailand, gun violence is not uncommon. In 2019, a soldier shot and killed at least 29 people and injured 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations in and around the northeastern Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima. In 2020, an ex-police officer murdered 22 children in a nursery during a gun-and-knife attack.