Inside Thailand's Siam Paragon mall as child gunman kills two in Bangkok attack

03 October 2023 , 12:32

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Inside Thailand's Siam Paragon mall as child gunman kills two in Bangkok attack

Hundreds of shoppers were seen scrambling to escape a major shopping centre in downtown Bangkok today after a 14-year-old gunman allegedly went on a rampage, killing two.

Visitors to the Siam Paragon Mall were jolted into action after reports of "loud sounds" ringing out through the high-end retail hub in the centre of the city, with some cowering inside stores for shelter.

Videos and images circulating on social media showed the sudden evacuation as scores of people took to an escalator to swerve the gunman. He was said to have been prowling close to the toilets on the ground floor.

Panicked mothers at the mall's food court can be seen cradling their children as a large group sprinted out of the building in one shocking clip. In the same piece of footage, one shopper can be seen entering a store that has its shutters down to avoid the rampaging shooter.

Shoppers run from the Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok today (Twitter)

The shots were reportedly fired near the ground floor toilets (Twitter)

In yet another frightening video, the moment the deafening gunshots ring out through the mall can be heard as a woman screams out in Thai. Outside the shopping centre, security guards and traffic wardens can be seen directing the terrified shoppers to safety.

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Moments later, Thai police shared photos showing the moment the alleged gunman, who is said to be just 14 years old, was arrested. They also recovered the pistol-type weapon used and placed it in an evidence bag.

The gunman was a 14-year-old boy, police say (Twitter)

The incident prompted authorities to shut access to the nearby Siam elevated train stop, preventing commuters from exiting the transit station as the evening rush hour began and intense rain pounded the city, according to an Associated Press journalist at the scene. First responders could be seen entering the mall as sirens wailed outside.

Police spokesman Archayon Kraithong said officers in the area were ordered to secure the scene and that he would provide details as soon as possible. He didn't provide information about casualties, but the police force said on its official Facebook page that there were injuries.

People exiting the high-end mall (Getty Images)

Witnesses said crowds of people left the building, one of several shopping centers in the area popular with tourists and well-heeled Thais alike. Chinese tourist Liu Shiying told the AP that she saw people running and saying someone had opened fire. She said she heard gunshots and an alarm ringing, and that the lights in the mall went out. "We're temporarily hiding. Who dares to go out?" she said while taking cover. She was later able to leave.

Gun violence is not uncommon in Thailand, though mass shootings are rare. The incident happened days before Thais were planning to mark the anniversary of a grisly gun and knife attack at a rural day care center that killed 36 people, most of them preschoolers, on Oct. 6, 2022.

In 2020, a disgruntled soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and holding off security forces for some 16 hours before eventually being killed by them.

Ryan Fahey