A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after a shooting at a luxury mall in Bangkok left three people dead and four others injured on Tuesday. The incident sparked panic among shoppers and staff at the Siam Paragon Mall, one of the most popular shopping destinations in the Thai capital.
Witnesses said they heard gunshots inside the mall around 7:30 p.m. local time and saw people running for their lives. Some hid inside shops and bathrooms, while others escaped through the exits. The nearby Siam metro station was also closed as a precaution.
The mall, which houses hundreds of stores, restaurants, cinemas and an aquarium, was cordoned off by the police as they searched for evidence and cleared the scene. The mall’s management said it would cooperate with the authorities and provide assistance to those affected by the incident.
The shooting is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have shaken Thailand in recent years. In February 2020, a soldier killed 29 people and wounded 57 others in a rampage at a military base and a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima province. In November 2020, a man shot and killed his ex-wife and wounded another woman at a beauty clinic in another Bangkok mall.
