A Thai soldier remained holed up in a shopping mall Saturday after gunning down at least 13 people, emergency services said, in an attack relayed through Facebook posts.
At least 13 people have been confirmed killed in a shooting in northeastern Thailand and the death toll could rise, an official of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office in Nakhon Ratchasima told Reuters.
Police contacted by phone in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima said the soldier, stationed outside the city, initially shot dead another soldier and a woman and wounded a third person.
The city and neighborhood police officers, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to release information, said the man took a gun from his base and drove to the Terminal 21 mall, shooting along the way. The city is also known as Korat.
Video taken outside the mall and shared on social media showed people taking cover in a parking lot as gunshots were fired.
The mall was shut down and the street outside was closed while the authorities tried to arrest the gunman and rescue shoppers inside.
Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich identified the suspect as Jakrapanth Thomma. He said police and military units had locked down the mall and the surrounding area.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
