Security guards stand at an entrance of the Siam Paragon shopping mall before opening in Bangkok on October 4, 2023, a day after a shooting left two people dead.
Thailand police reported on Wednesday, October 4, that a 14-year-old boy accused of killing two people at a high-end mall in Bangkok has been charged with six counts, including premeditated murder.
The arrest of the teenager came on Tuesday, October 3, not long after the shooting rampage at the popular Siam Paragon mall in the heart of Bangkok's commercial and tourism districts.
Mental Health Issue
Contradicting to the initial report, there are two fatalities and not three. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kanchana Patarachoke, stated on Wednesday that a Chinese citizen and a Myanmar national were murdered. Five people were wounded with "varying degrees of severity." Those injured were three Thai nationals, a Chinese national, and a Laotian national.
The suspect was sent from the Pathum Wan police station to a juvenile court in Bangkok, according to Police Major General Nakarin Sukhonthawit.
The crimes charged against the teen include premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm without a license, carrying a firearm into a public area without a license, and shooting in a public area without permission.
Sukhonthawit said a doctor has confirmed the suspect is experiencing mental health problems and has deemed him unfit for interrogation at this time, as CNN reported.
Although the suspect's motivation and where he got the firearm used in the attack are still mysteries, Sukhonthawit claimed the gun was modified and purchased online. "This kind of modified guns are widely available on the internet, we are investigating where he purchased this gun," he explained.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Thai Police Chief General Torsak Sukvimol said the suspect surrendered himself after the shooting.
The police chief said that the suspect's mental disorders had been treated at Rajavithi Hospital but that any details regarding his personal issues were off-limits due to the fact that he is still a minor.
Also Read: Thailand: 14-Year-Old Suspect in Police Custody After Bangkok Mall Shooting Kills 3
Surrendering to Police
Captain Thanamorn Noonart, who claims to have been the first cop to approach the suspect inside the mall, told Thai media that the teenager put aside his weapon upon seeing the police' firearms.
Noonart recalled that the suspect was on the phone with a radio center, which was trying to convince him to surrender and give up his gun. When the suspect saw the police squad, he said over the phone, "It's too late because there were many people carrying guns."
Eventually, the teenager turned himself in and was arrested.
Footage captured inside the mall seems to show the kid kneeling with his hands in the air. After breaking a window, two police officers enter the establishment and arrest the suspect.
Thai Police General Torsak informed reporters that the suspect was arrested less than an hour after the shooting began, at about 4:20 PM local time, and was afterward transferred to a nearby hospital after questioning.
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