Police kill soldier who carried out mass shooting in Thailand

(Image credit: Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

published 9 February 2020

A gunman who shot and killed 26 people and injured 57 others in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, on Saturday was killed by police about 16 hours after the shooting began.

The shooter, a 32-year-old soldier named Jakrapanth Thomma, carried out most of his attack from inside a shopping mall in the city center, though he also killed multiple people — including his commanding officer — on his military base after stealing weapons and ammunition. He then reportedly fired at people as he drove to the mall. Thomma reportedly stationed himself inside the mall for hours as people searched for him before finally tracking him down.

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Although gun violence is not unheard of in Thailand, where firearms can be obtained legally and ownership is relatively common, per The Associated Press, Saturday's violent event was the worst mass shooting in the country's history. "This incident was unprecedented in Thailand," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters. "I hope this is the only one and the last incident, and that it never happens again." Read more at The Associated Press and BBC.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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