Mass shooting leaves 29 dead, 57 injured

Thai soldier armed with HK-33 rifle targeted shoppers in 18-hour rampage

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Sunday that a shooting rampage in northeastern Thailand has left at least 29 people dead, including the gunman, and 57 others injured.

The premier updated the latest death toll in the deadly mass shooting outside a hospital in northeastern Nakorn Ratchasima city, where a frenzied soldier opened fire at shoppers at a shopping mall late Saturday.

Police chief Pol. Gen. Chakthip Chaijinda said the heavily-armed gunman identified as Sgt. Jakrapanth Thomma was killed inside the Terminal 21 Korat shopping mall after a nearly 18-hour shooting rampage and a shootout with the police.

The soldier was attached to an army camp in Nakhon Ratchasima province, about 160 km northeast of Bangkok. The last shootout inside the mall occurred at about 5:30 am local time, according to the police chief.

Armed with an HK-33 rifle and ammunition, and clad in combat fatigues and an army helmet, Sgt. Jakrapanth drove an army vehicle to the shopping mall and opened fire at shoppers in the weekend's massacre in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat.

The 32-year-old soldier, attached to the Suratham Phithak camp in the northeastern province, reportedly killed a dozen people, including two army officers, and wounded others along the way from a house to the shopping mall, the police said.

The frenzied sergeant broke into an army unit where war weapons and ammunition were stored and left with a Humvee vehicle, three HK-33 rifles and other ammunition.

The gunman fired at a huge gas tank which immediately caught fire just outside the shopping mall before he got inside from the front door and sprayed bullets indiscriminately.

Hundreds of shoppers inside the mall took cover during the rampage and were brought out safely in groups by policemen. A number of other shoppers and vendors were held hostage by the gunman in the mall from late afternoon until dawn, the police said.

Frightened shoppers sent cascades of messages to friends and family on social media from cupboards, toilets and under tables as the gunman stalked the mall.

"It was like a dream… I'm grateful I survived," Sottiyanee Unchalee, 48, explaining she hid in the toilet of a gym inside the mall as she heard the gunfire.

According to multiple reports, the sergeant had a dispute over a land deal with the army officers and a woman whom he shot dead in the house. He posted updates on his Facebook page, following the shooting rampage at the mall on Saturday afternoon.

A Facebook spokesperson said: "We have removed the gunman's accounts from our services and will work around the clock to remove any violating content related to this attack as soon as we become aware of it."

Meanwhile, Thailand's Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pleaded for blood donations to save the more than 40 injured being treated in hospital.

XINHUA-AGENCIES