Jakrapanth Thomma is the suspect named in a Korat, Thailand mass shooting that left a trail of people dead. Disturbing videos circulated on Facebook as it emerged the suspect is accused of live streaming portions of the massacre. You can watch some videos from the scene throughout this article but be aware that they are disturbing.
He has now been killed by security forces.
The shooting erupted on a military base initially, and then spread out through the city at different locations, culminating in the suspect holing up in a shopping mall. As many as 29 people may have been killed, The Wall Street Journal reported. The alleged shooter, a sergeant major, was still at large for horus, according to Al-Jazeera. Bangkok Post reported that at least 14 other people were wounded.
This image of the shooter emerged on a surveillance video:
Thai mass shooter
Here’s the surveillance video:
Daily Mail reports that Thomma live streamed the massacre on Facebook and posed for selfies. “The gunman used a machine gun and shot innocent victims resulting in many injured and dead,” said Police Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen, the police spokesman, to Bangkok Post.
Here’s what you need to know:
Videos Captured the Chaos & the Gunfire
Disturbing videos emerged on Facebook showing the chaos and gunfire throughout Korat. One shows the situation in the shopping mall. You can hear gunfire and people shouting in Thai.
Daily Mail reports that the mass shooter first “executed” his commanding officer and two other soldiers in a barracks, took a humvee, and then drove toward a shopping mall in Korat, called Terminal 21, shooting people along the way. He then hid out in the shopping mall with hostages.
Videos and photos of the shooter circulated on social media.
According to Daily Mail, his Facebook posts included things like “should I surrender” and “no one can escape death” and “I’m tired… I can’t pull my finger anymore” and “It is time to get excited.”
The suspect also wrote on his now deleted Facebook page “Death is inevitable for everyone” and posted a photo holding what appeared to be a gun, according to Al-Jazeera.
The city of Korat is located about 155 miles from Bangkok, Thailand. The site reported that he also went to a home in the city and shot and killed two people in the course of the rampage.
The hashtag #koratshooting trended on Twitter. According to Bloomberg, security forces were trying to capture the shooter.
Facebook groups in the killer’s name sprouted up after the massacre and people shared screenshots of what they said were videos and photos from his now deleted page. According to CBS News, the initial shooting started as a land dispute.
Telegraph reports that Thailand has one of the world’s highest rates of gun ownership.
BBC reported that the shooting started at Suatham Phithak military camp, and the commanding officer who was killed was named as Col. Anantharot Krasae. Another soldier and a 63 year old woman also died there.
“Pls, anyone. URGENT REQUEST!!! for blood donation. There’s a rampage soldier shot many people in Korat, Thailand! Many got shot and loss so much blood! Pls, help!!!!” wrote one person on Twitter.
Another wrote: “WARNING! There a shooting in #Korat and the shooter still out there. The police ask people to stay inside, lock the door, don’t stay in open space. When you hear the shooting don’t look . Pls lie low and hide. Pls be safe.”
Facebook took down the gunman’s Facebook page, saying, according to Bangkok Post: “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand. There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack.”
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