▲ Before committing suicide by shooting himself, the Thai police attempted to subdue him
On July 28th at noon local time, a tragic incident occurred in a fresh market in Bangkok, Thailand. A male gunman entered the market and began firing wildly, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. After causing chaos, he shot himself on a bench in the center of the market. According to the latest statistics, the incident has resulted in 6 fatalities, with at least 2 others injured, including one seriously.
The identities of the six deceased have been preliminarily confirmed, including four market security personnel, one female merchant, and one male gunman (who committed suicide).
The shooting occurred around 12:30 PM that day. According to an investigation report from the Bangkok Wat Phra Kaew Police Station, the incident took place inside Or Tor Kor Market located in Chao Chok District, near a donation point for border refugees set up by Thailand and Cambodia.
The gunman fled after committing his crime, but the police were unable to apprehend him.
According to reports and descriptions by the police, the perpetrator’s name is Noi (surname withheld), aged 61, a resident of Hat Yai Province, Thailand. During the attack, he was wearing a white baseball cap, black short-sleeve T-shirt, and camouflage shorts, and carried a camouflage backpack.
As described by the social media page of the well-known Thai aid organization “Kan Jom Palang,” the location was indeed the border material donation point he established. He urgently posted on his page around 12:38 asking the Thai police to quickly arrive at the scene, stating, “Someone with a gun has entered and shot many people.” Shortly thereafter, he updated at 13:01: “Three security guards are dead, I need to handle my work first.”
Surveillance footage showed the gunman passing by a seafood dry goods store where the female merchant hid behind a cabinet. However, the gunman later found her and fired at her from close range. The surveillance video recorded her voice saying, “Don’t hurt me; I don’t know anything.”
▲ Surveillance captures the gunman calmly fleeing after committing the crime
Reports indicate that after killing several people, the gunman “calmly fled from the scene nearby” with his pistol. Upon receiving the alert, Thai police arrived at the scene to attempt to apprehend the gunman, but they were unsuccessful in controlling him. The gunman ended his life on a bench near a market stall in the center of the market, using his weapon.
Investigations into motives are still underway. According to Worapat Suthep, Deputy Chief of the Bangkok Wat Phra Kaew Police District, “The police are investigating motives. Currently, it appears to be a large-scale shooting incident.”
Thai police have stated that their investigations include “personal grievances or other reasons.” They are also examining whether this incident is “any possible connection” to the current border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia.
Reports suggest that due to lax gun control enforcement, firearms are relatively easily available in Thailand, leading to frequent mass shooting incidents.
Red Star News, Deng Xiyi
Editor: Pan Li
Editor-in-Charge: Guan Li