- A Thai soldier has been shot dead by security forces after killing 21 people in a shooting spree that was livestreamed on Facebook Saturday, Reuters reported.
- Local media reported the suspect’s name to be Cpl Jakrapanth Thomma.
- One of the victims included Thomma’s commander, who was killed before the suspect fled to a shopping center,
- As of 10 p.m. local time, regional outlets reported that police and military authorities were still trying to detain the suspect at a shopping center in Korat, a city northeast of Bangkok.
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A Thai soldier has been shot dead by security forces after killing 21 people in a shooting spree at a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, military and police officials told Reuters.
Thai police faced a Saturday night standoff with the soldier, who livestreamed his attack on Facebook, the Bangkok Post reported.
The attacker, whom The Post has named as Cpl Jakrapanth Thomma, reportedly killed 20 people and injured others, according to The New York Times. Coconut, a local news site, also named Thomma as the suspect.
The attack took place Saturday afternoon local time in and around Muang district in Korat, a city northeast of Bangkok, the local media said. Korat is also known as Nakhon Ratchasima.
The suspect first shot at his commander and other soldiers at a military camp, then stole a gun and ammunition at the site, the BBC reported.
He then stole a Humvee, drove it from the camp, and opened fire again at a Buddhist temple and at the Terminal 21 shopping mall in downtown Korat, the Post and BBC reported.
Video posted by local media and on social media show people running near the shopping center as shots ring out.
https://twitter.com/Hook31_Thailand/status/1226116535082606592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Krissana Pattanacharoen, a police spokesman, told CNN that police and military forces were deployed to the mall, where they faced a standoff with the attacker as local media said he was holding several hostages.
The attacker livestreamed himself in the mall on Facebook Live and took a selfie there at 7:20 p.m. local time, the Post said.
The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.
The outlet detailed some of the attacker's posts that provided commentary on the attack, including asking "Should I surrender?" Earlier posts reported by the Post appeared to describe the gunman's intention to attack, reading, "Being rich from taking advantage of others, do they think they can use money in hell?"
The Post noted that the livestream and post were made unavailable moments afterward.
In a statement provided to Insider shortly after the attack, a spokesperson for Facebook condemned the gunman's use of the site and said it removed his "presence on our services."
"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand," the statement read. "There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack."
"We have removed the gunman's presence on 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," the spokesperson added.