A teenage boy has been arrested after two people were shot dead in a Bangkok shopping centre.
Footage shows crowds fleeing the Siam Paragon Mall – a luxury complex in the Thai capital – while some hid inside.
Police chief Torsak Sukvimol said the victims were a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar national. Several other people were injured.
Thai media said the suspect is 14 years old but police only confirmed he is a minor and appeared to be suffering from mental illness.
Photos show him pinned to the floor and being handcuffed and an officer picking up a gun.
A police official said the weapon was a handgun designed to only fire blanks, but had been modified to use live rounds.
The teenager was cornered at nearby Siam Kempinski Hotel at around 5.10pm and surrendered without a struggle, Bangkok Post reported.
“It happened in just a few minutes. We saw all the people run, run, run, we didn’t understand what was happening,” said26-year-old Shir Yahav from Israel.
“We went with them and then we heard several shots, like six or seven shots. We blocked the door of the store.”
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The suspected gunman is detained at the Siam Paragon shopping mall. Pic: Thai rescue workers association/Reuters
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Pics: Thai rescue workers association/Reuters
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said he was informed by police that the Chinese tourist who died was about 30 years old.
He told reporters: “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family of the deceased following the shooting inside Siam Paragon.
“I would like to give my moral support to the families of all who died and were injured.”
Local media earlier reported that three people had died.
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Siam Paragon Mall is the country’s most famous shopping centre and includes many designer stores, an aquarium and a popular food court.
In a statement, it said: “Siam Paragon would like to express our deep apologies for the unexpected event. Authorities have been able to control the situation and arrest the culprit.”
Gun violence is common in Thailand. Last year, an ex-police officer killed 24 children in a nursery shooting.
In 2020, a disgruntled soldier killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage in and around the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
