Shooting in Siam Paragon

[moistmango]

4 reported deaths; the suspected gunman is a teenager. 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-bangkok-siam-paragon-shooting-police-evacuation-3817086

 

[omega]

It's even more shocking when you consider they have security guards and metal detectors at every entrance. Clearly pointless security theatre.

[fedssocr]

certainly not even really theater anymore. Everyone just walks through beeping beeping beeping and the "security" people just salute. I wonder if that will briefly change

[WelshGuyUK]

2 dead 

[PeterRS]

This is utterly shocking. I was in Paragon on Saturday early afternoon. As usual it was packed with patrons. At one end close to Siam Centre there was a show on Level 1 with some minor Korean Pop stars. At least a hundred young Thais were either standing around or seated on the floor. Had the gunman been around at that time and opened fire on that crowd, I fear the death toll would have been many more.

During covid, security at each entrance was a lot tighter. On Saturday I passed through no metal detector and there was no security personnel present. It was an open door. As @fedssocr points out, the security is now very lax. It will somehow need to be tightened. A question will also have to be asked how a teenage patient with mental issues got hold of a gun. An article in TIME suggests although that Thailand has around 10 million privately-owned guns in circulation, the regulations for obtaining one are quite strict, including the purchaser being at least 20 years of age. One problem is that only around 6 million of these guns are registered. There must therefore be a thriving second and third hand market.

And as always in Thaialnd, corruption is not far from the debate. A state-run programme allows public servants to purchase guns at subsidised rates. Several people, including a government servant, were recently arrested suspected of running a gun-trafficking gang selling guns purchased through this programe.

https://time.com/6220339/thailand-gun-control-mass-shooting/ 

[scott456]

R. I. P.

[Gaybutton]

20 hours ago, PeterRS said:

A question will also have to be asked how a teenage patient with mental issues got hold of a gun.

That question already has been answered in the media.  He actually bought it legally.  He bought it online,  a gun capable of firing only blanks, like a starter's gun - and it turns out that is perfectly legal.  But once he had it, he manged to find someone who was capable of modifying the gun so that it would shoot bullets.  If they can track down whoever modified it, that person deserves a very long prison sentence too.

That tells me, mental issues or not, he knew exactly what he was doing and planned it long before he actually carried out the shootings.  Whether he belongs in prison or in a mental institution is up to the courts, but whatever they decide, I hope it will be for the rest of his life. It is too dangerous to ever turn him loose again.

I don't think the death penalty should apply to someone his age, but if it were one of my friends or a member of my family who was killed, I'm not so sure I would feel the same way.  Of course he has mental issues.  Someone who would do such a thing, even at his age, definitely has serious problems.  But two people are now dead because of his problems.

Not only does security need to be tightened, but Thailand's gun laws need to be tightened too.  People all over Thailand are shocked by this incident.  Meanwhile incidents like this happen practically every day in the USA, to the point it is unusual if no such incidents happen on a particular day.  At least in Thailand, something like this incident is quite rare.

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, Gaybutton said:

At least in Thailand, something like this incident is quite rare.

This shooting in a public place comes almost a year to the day after a madman massacred 36 mostly children in a day care centre in Nong Bua Lamphu Province. In 2020 a former soldier went on a rampage gunning down 29 people in a spree that ended in a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima. Perhaps "rare" compared to the plague in the US, but as this chart from wikipedia shows, there have been quite a few in Thailand of which most of us have not been aware - 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_in_Thailand

1 hour ago, Gaybutton said:

Of course he has mental issues.  Someone who would do such a thing, even at his age, definitely has serious problems.  But two people are now dead because of his problems.

Whenever we hear about this sort of senseless killing, lawmakers in the USA - and perhaps in Thailand, too, for all I know - target mental health and the need for much more vigilance in finding and treating those who might be in danger of using guns. Many such murderers obviously have psychiatric problems, but this to me is a huge cop out when it is the proliferation of guns that is the root cause of the problem. How does any law enforcement agency identify a young person intent on murder? How do parents monitor their teenage children's activities on the internet? How many parents are bothered even to think about doing that? Even if they were aware that their child was harbouring 'dark thoughts', would they report that child? After all, it could indicate that as parents they have not brought their child up properly? How many school children think about contemporarites who are loners or who betray anti-social traits? And so the questions go on - and the killings never stop.

[scott456]

What do they gain by killing innocent people?

[vinapu]

1 minute ago, scott456 said:

What do they gain by killing innocent people?

perhaps moment of thrill in their sick minds

[fedssocr]

39 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Whenever we hear about this sort of senseless killing, lawmakers in the USA - and perhaps in Thailand, too, for all I know - target mental health and the need for much more vigilance in finding and treating those who might be in danger of using guns. Many such murderers obviously have psychiatric problems, but this to me is a huge cop out when it is the proliferation of guns that is the root cause of the problem. How does any law enforcement agency identify a young person intent on murder? How do parents monitor their teenage children's activities on the internet? How many parents are bothered even to think about doing that? Even if they were aware that their child was harbouring 'dark thoughts', would they report that child? After all, it could indicate that as parents they have not brought their child up properly? How many school children think about contemporarites who are loners or who betray anti-social traits? And so the questions go on - and the killings never stop.

They talk about mental health, but they don't actually do anything about it, because that's the difficult part

[PeterRS]

Just now, fedssocr said:

They talk about mental health, but they don't actually do anything about it, because that's the difficult part

Agreed. So why not start by tackling the easier part which is some form of gun control?

Oh, I know the arguments! Trot out the facts about the fundamental changes in gun control laws brought in by the UK and Australia following the gun massacres in Dunblane and Port Arthur and the consequent major drop in gun deaths. The gun lobby will twist arguments to pooh pooh these!  Those against gun control bring up Switzerland which has more guns in private hands that almost any other country outside the USA. What they then fail to mention is that under Switzerland's historic militia system, there is only a small standing army but a large number of conscripts. All are encouraged to keep their service weapons in their homes. In the last 50 years there have been 11 gun related incidents resulting in 2 or more killed.

Another argument is that cars kill, so why not ban cars? Well, I can't see a car crashing into Paragon to kill people or one coming up to my eight floor apartment to kill the occupants.

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, PeterRS said:

 

Another argument is that cars kill, so why not ban cars? Well, I can't see a car crashing into Paragon to kill people or one coming up to my eight floor apartment to kill the occupants.

I don't think any rational arguments will change minds of those gun lovers although one thing remains to be tried - mass shootout during NRA convention, slight chance , just slight that it could work toward some restrictions. 

Otherwise we need to accept that USA has own,  unique among developed nations,  way of population control. 

[moistmango]

5 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Another argument is that cars kill, so why not ban cars? Well, I can't see a car crashing into Paragon to kill people or one coming up to my eight floor apartment to kill the occupants.

You can say that again. Other potentially fatal implements were not (primarily) designed for killing, such as cars and knives, and do serve other important functions. Guns, however, have only one use. 

[Gaybutton]

In my opinion the article shows the boy is definitely crazy, but not insane.  He knew exactly what he was doing and planned for it.  We don't know why he did it, but he did it.  Mental issues or not, that's just not enough an excuse.  I think he needs to one way or another be locked up and stay locked up for life.

________________________________________________________

3 arrested for selling blank gun, ammo to teen shooter

by Wassayos Ngamkham and Online Reporters

October 5, 2023

Three men were separately arrested in Yala and Bangkok for allegedly selling firearms, including a blank gun, and ammunition to a 14-year-old boy who went on a shooting rampage inside Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon. The incident left two foreign nationals dead and five others wounded.

A team of investigators from the Provincial Police Region 9 apprehended two of the three suspects at a house in tambon Sateng of Muang district in Yala at around 1am on Thursday.

Suwananhong Phramkhanajarn, 45, and his 22-year-old son Akkharawit Jaithong were wanted on arrest warrants issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court for colluding in illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and selling firearms and ammunition without permission. 

Seized from the house were 209 rounds of ammunition for blank guns, 33 metal parts, two bank accounts, nine magazines and other items. The two men were being taken to Bangkok for questioning.

The third suspect, Piyabut Pianpithak, 30, was arrested in Bangkok.

The arrests came after Pol Lt Gen Thiti Saengsawang, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, ordered Yannawa police to gather evidence and seek court approval for issuing warrants against the three individuals involved in the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.

A police investigation found that the 14-year-old boy contacted an online gun seller, expressing his interest in firearms, and they had online conversations. However, the suspect hesitated about obtaining a real gun due to the relatively high price.

He then placed an order for 9mm bullets a cost of 1,000 baht and transferred the money for the purchase. A few days later, he rreceived a parcel at his condominium room in Sathon district, which contained real bullets.

The teen subsequently ordered a modified blank gun, later used in the deadly shooting at the shopping mall.

The investigation also found that the suspect lacked sufficient funds to acquire the blank gun. He then borrowed money through an online money lending application and later transferred 16,000 baht to the seller, who later sent the gun to his condo.

During questioning, Mr Suwannahong and Mr Akkharawit denied all charges.  

A police source said the teenager had transferred the money to Mr Suwannahong’s bank account, and the man later withdrew the funds at an ATM booth at a petrol station in Yala.

It was revealed that Mr Akkharawit was running a Facebook page to sell firearms online. The page had been opened for about five months before being shut down around 10.20 pm on the day of the shooting rampage.

Mr Piyabut was involved as he sold and sent 9mm bullets to the teenager.

Chaos erupted at Siam Paragon on Rama 1 Road in Pathum Wan district close to peak hours on Tuesday, with hundreds fleeing as gunshots rang out. The dead were two women from China and Myanmar.

The teenager was arrested late on Tuesday shortly after the shooting spree.

Maj Gen Samran Nuanma said the suspect had modified a gun designed for firing blank rounds to enable it to use live ammunition.

The boy facing murder and other charges has been remanded to a juvenile detention centre where he will undergo a psychiatric assessment.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2658098/3-arrested-for-selling-blank-gun-ammunition-to-teen-shooter

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, Gaybutton said:

In my opinion the article shows the boy is definitely crazy, but not insane. 

as they say where I'm from :' Every idiot still has a brain"

[floridarob]

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

Every idiot still has a brain"

Speaking of which, where has gayinpattaya been?

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, floridarob said:

Speaking of which, where has gayinpattaya been?

I'd thought you will know. Aren't you guys secret lovers or something ?

[scott456]

8 hours ago, vinapu said:

Every idiot still has a brain"

 

4 hours ago, floridarob said:

Speaking of which, where has gayinpattaya been?

Are you saying @gayinpattaya is an idiot with a brain?

[Gaybutton]

Maker of modified blank guns arrested as police crack down after mall shooting

by THE NATION

October 5, 2023

A former convict was arrested on Thursday at his Bangkok home where he used to make modified blank guns for use with real bullets, police said.

The 41-year-old suspect, identified only as Werayuth, is a resident of southern Phuket province.

A search of his home in Bangkok’s Thung Khru district yielded more than 40 pistol barrels and magazines to be used with blank guns so they could fire real bullets.

Police also found dozens of bullets and a small amount of “ice” crystalised methamphetamine and drug-smoking equipment.

The arrest was part of a police crackdown on modified blank guns following Tuesday’s mass shooting by a 14-year-old boy at a Bangkok luxury mall, which left two people dead and five others seriously injured. The teen suspect reportedly used a modified blank gun.

Assistant National Police chief Pol Lt-General Samran Nualma, who was among the officers conducting the search at the suspect’s house, said that the place was used to make blank guns fitted with pistol barrels and magazines so they could function like a real firearm.

“The Metropolitan Police would conduct further investigation to determine from where the suspected gun assembler got the components and who his customers were,” Samran said.

The officer also said that the suspect was among those arrested in connection with Tuesday’s mass shooting, along with two suspects from southern Yala province and another person from Bangkok’s Don Mueang area. They were being questioned at Bangkok’s Yannawa Police Station, he said.

Police interrogation of Werayuth, the suspect from Bangkok’s Thung Khru district, revealed that he had finished a vocational college in Phuket many years ago and initially worked as a mechanic.

His interest in BB air guns drew him into the hobby of modifying imitation guns so they could fire real bullets.

The suspect made about 30,000 baht per month from selling those guns, according to police. Part of his income was spent on buying narcotics, they said.

Werayuth had been arrested in 2015 for making illegal firearms and had served three years in prison. He was also jailed for possession of methamphetamine.

In the latest arrest on Thursday, the suspect was charged with possession and production of illegal firearms as well as having narcotic drugs with the intent to sell.

Story and photos:  https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40031646

 

[scott456]

He is shirtless!!

[Gaybutton]

56 minutes ago, scott456 said:

He is shirtless!!

And I hope scared shitless . . .