① Shooting Spree at a Bangkok mall
A shooting spree occurred in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. At around 4:20 p.m. on the 3rd, a shooting spree occurred at the Siam Paragon, a luxury mall located in the center of Bangkok, resulting in two deaths and five injuries. The victims were two women, one Chinese and one from Myanmar.
In a currently circulating video, police handcuff a suspect lying on the ground. Gunshots send mall visitors running outside. Some visitors hide in a restaurant, trembling in fear.
The 14-year-old boy who fired the gun was arrested about an hour after the incident. According to the authorities, the suspect was a student at a nearby school and had been receiving psychiatric treatment. He confessed to not taking his medication correctly.
In an interrogation, he confessed, “I heard a voice telling me to go and shoot someone.”
The Thai police chief said, “The suspect confessed in the initial investigation that he felt as if he had another ego as if someone was telling him to shoot.”
He added that the investigation is ongoing as the suspect’s statement about how he obtained the firearm is not accurate.
Siam Paragon Mall is the largest luxury mall in the center of Bangkok and is a popular destination for tourists. Thai Prime Minister Seta Tawisin visited the shooting scene to express his condolences to the victims and announced that he would implement tourist safety measures.
A tourist from Israel described the situation, saying, “We saw people running. We didn’t know what was happening. We ran after them, and then we heard several gunshots.” At the time of the incident, many Korean tourists were in the mall.
② Live Streamer Escaped During a Live Broadcast
A Korean live streamer also narrowly escaped from the mall at the time. ‘BJ Bobby Genie’ of AfreecaTV was conducting a live broadcast from a cafe inside the mall.
Less than five minutes after entering the cafe, gunshots rang out, and he appeared startled. BJ Bobby Genie exclaimed, “What’s that? What’s that?” and immediately started to run to get out of the mall.
She said, “I guess that’s a gun,” and quickly ran out of the mall. In the video, numerous people can be seen escaping and fleeing to the streets.
Once on the street, BJ Bobby Genie asked a passerby, “What’s going on? Is there a shooting?”
The local replied, “I’m not sure, but it seems like it.”
BJ Bobby Genie didn’t hesitate even though his legs were giving out. He said, “I left without eating the ordered food and didn’t pay. That’s a relief. Did I pack everything correctly? It’s too scary.” Even after he got to the street, people were still running out, and he hastily got into a taxi.
BJ Bobby Genie hurried along, saying, “I heard a gunshot and thought, ‘What’s that?’ Then, about 15 people came out of that narrow food court. I thought, ‘Is this a hidden camera? No, it’s not.'”
He added, “When I saw a mother with a baby almost abandon her stroller and run, I realized this was not a joke. I packed everything and left. I could have been in big trouble if I was a little late.”
BJ Bobby Genie said, “This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this. It was terrifying. I thought the sound I heard was like a gunshot, and people were running like crazy. I ran fast. It’s a relief.”
③ Thailand, a Country Where Firearm Possession is Permitted
Thailand has allowed individual firearm ownership since 1947. Anyone over 20 without a criminal record and who has a residence permit or has lived in the country for more than six months can possess a firearm.
However, Thailand’s firearm policies have been criticized for being lax. The management is not properly carried out, and the number of legally registered firearms is significantly low.
According to a 2017 survey by the Swiss international arms research group Small Arms Survey, there are about 10 million privately owned firearms in Thailand, including 4 million illegal guns.
Every year in Thailand, social problems occur due to firearms. In October last year, a farmer in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Phanom broke into a kindergarten and killed children and teachers with a gun and a knife. 38 people, including 24 children, were killed; of the more than 10 injured, 6 were seriously injured.
The recent incident in Bangkok raises new questions about Thailand’s firearm regulations.
By. Han Mia (miumia___12@mememedia.co.kr)
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