A soldier who killed at least 21 people in a mass shooting that began on an army base and ended in a shopping mall standoff was killed by police Sunday morning.
Nearly 18 hours after the first shots were fired, 32-year-old Sgt. Jakrapanth Thomma was killed by security forces at about 9am, police announced this morning. He had been holed up inside the Terminal 21 Korat shopping mall since late Saturday afternoon and gunfire was heard sporadically through the night into dawn. One officer was killed during the final assault.
Before Jakraphanth was killed, nine hostages were rescued at about 6:30am. There was no immediate word on any other hostages he was reported to have taken.
Heavy gunfire can be heard in a video posted online and broadcast on television said to be the moment the gunman was killed. As people try to make sense of what unfolded on a Buddhist national holiday, tributes were pouring in for police Capt. Trakul Ta-arsa, who was killed by the gunman during the raid.
喙赌喔傅喔⑧竾喔涏阜喔权抚喔脆釜喔侧浮喔编笉喙傕斧喔断浮喔侧竵
鈥 ~AB ~ (@Taen_AB)
In an orgy of violence that seemed made for the social media spotlight, Jakrapanth shot dozens civilians and security forces in running battles with the authorities before escaping into the mall in what is Thailand’s third most populous city. His youngest victim was a 9-year-old boy. He had been live streaming and updating social media in real time with messages and videos of the attack before and after.
“No one can escape death” and “Should I give up?” were some of his messages posted online. While his motive was yet unclear, the man mentioned “revenge” on his Facebook account, which has been deactivated since 7pm.
Prior to Capt. Trakul’s death, 20 people had been killed by the gunman, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at 11:45pm. Sixteen died at the scene; four later at hospital. At least 31 were injured. The dead included at least two children: boys 9 and 13.
Update: Hostages at mall among 30 dead as Korat reels from trauma
Defense Ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantrawanich confirmed that the man was a soldier stationed at the Surathampitak Military Base in Nakhon Ratchasima province. There were unconfirmed rumors online that he had been using the hostages as human shields.
Just before 8pm, he was said to have taken upward of 14 hostages. Police had advised those trapped inside the mall to call hotline 1195 and keep their phone volumes as low as possible to avoid detection by the shooter. Just before midnight, the Crime Suppression Division tweeted that special unit forces of the mall.
There were reports at about 10:20pm that most of those trapped inside the mall were rescued or able to escape. It was unclear whether they included any hostages.
Before Jakrapanth’s Facebook page became unavailable, he had written about studying the methodology of Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik, who in 2011 murdered 69 people, mostly children, at a summer camp.
The spree started Saturday afternoon when Jakrapanth reportedly shot several people including his commanding officer at the army base, leaving at least two dead and one injured. He then stole a number of firearms and a Humvee. He fled, shooting several guards, at least one fatally.
He fled the base in the Humvee, shooting a pursuing policeman on his way to the mall, according to Daily News. He opened fire on a gas tank, setting it aflame, before fleeing into the mall.
It’s the latest in a series of what have been relatively rare mass shootings in the kingdom. It comes one month after a masked gunman opened fire at a gold shop inside a shopping mall in Lopburi province, killing at least three people, including a toddler, and three months after a retired police officer gunned down several people inside a courtroom.
喔傕腑喙冟斧喙夃笚喔膏竵喔勦笝喔溹箞喔侧笝喙喔｀阜喙堗腑喔囙笝喔掂箟喙勦笡喙勦笖喙夃腑喔⑧箞喔侧竾喔涏弗喔笖喔犩副喔⑧笝喔 喔傕腑喙冟斧喙夃笀喔编笟喔勦笝喔｀箟喔侧涪喙勦笖喙夃箘喔о箚喔涪喙堗覆喙冟斧喙夃箖喔勦福喔曕箟喔竾喔∴覆喙喔涏箛喔權腑喔班箘喔｀箘喔涏腑喔掂竵 喔椸父喔佮竸喔權笗喙夃腑喔囙箘喔斷箟喔佮弗喔编笟喙勦笡喙喔堗腑喔勦福喔笟喔勦福喔编抚 喙勦笖喙夃竵喔ム副喔氞箘喔涏箖喔娻箟喔娻傅喔о复喔
鈥 555555 (@Marshlilow27)
This is a developing story and may be updated without notice.
Related:
Reward money for info on gunman who killed 3 at Lopburi gold shop
Mass shooting in Thai courtroom kills 2 as retired cop opens fire on opposing counsel
