Thailand mourns victims of mass shooting at mall
Mourning began for the victims of Saturday’s worst mass shooting in Thailand. A soldier killed 29 people and wounded 58 at a local shopping mall in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. Security forces fatally shot the gunman after a 12-hour siege.
The shooting was carried out by a disgruntled soldier who opened fire on strangers inside and outside the building before he was fatally shot.
The dead were mourned Sunday night, with people gathering for the vigil led by Buddhist monks. They lit candles and prayed in the town square.
Officials said the soldier, identified as 32-year-old Sgt. Maj. Jakraphanth Thomma, was angry over a financial dispute with his commanding officer. He stole weapons and a military vehicle from his army base before heading before stealing guns from an army camp and heading to the mall.
“This incident was unprecedented in Thailand. I want this to be the last time this crisis happens”, prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said.
Despite the fact that Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, mass shootings in the country are rare.