14-year-old suspect in Bangkok Mall shooting allegedly failed to take prescribed medication during incident

THAILAND: On Wednesday (4 Oct), Thai police discloses that the teenager linked to a shooting incident at Bangkok Mall had allegedly failed to take his prescribed medicine during the incident.

Thai police, as reported by Reuters, have indicated that the teenager had experienced a psychological breakdown leading up to the tragedy.

The disturbing incident unfolded at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall on 3 October, where a 14-year-old Thai teenager is suspected of killing two foreign women and injuring five individuals in a shooting spree.

The victims included a 34-year-old Chinese woman and a Burmese woman, according to the Bangkok Post.

Additionally, five people were wounded in the incident, comprising a Chinese woman, a 28-year-old Lao woman, and three Thai nationals.

Teen heard a “voice” that “told” him to shoot

Thai police disclosed that the suspected gunman had been undergoing psychological treatment but failed to take his prescribed medication on the day of the shooting.

This revelation highlights an aspect of the case, shedding light on the potential role of untreated mental health issues in the tragic event.

Thai police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol stated that investigators are delving into the teenager’s background and intend to interview his online gamer friends to better understand his mental state.

Specifically, authorities are focusing on whether the teenager had exhibited violent or aggressive behavior in the past.

The boy had previously undergone mental health treatment at Rajavithi Hospital, although the police chief declined to provide additional information due to the suspect’s status as a minor.

Furthermore, during questioning, the teenager shared a deeply troubling detail, noting that he had “heard” someone speaking to him and received a “voice” that compelled him to carry out the shooting.

Modified gun and firearm practice

It was also revealed that the teenager had used a mock handgun that had been modified to fire real bullets.

A search of the suspect’s room at his residence unveiled a substantial amount of ammunition and an airgun target, as detailed by the Bangkok Post.

Notably, contents on the teenager’s phone included videos of him practicing with firearms.

According to posts by Attentive Media on its X page, the suspect would allegedly updated his friends on Discord and send memes taunting his own death.

Not long before the shooting, he unfriended everyone on Discord, the platform where he shared his gun lessons.

🇹🇭 EXCLUSIVE!

The photo below shows a 14-year-old shooter responsible for killing 3 and injuring 4 in a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand.

On the photo he is wearing the same hat as he was during the shooting #พารากอน #Thailand #shooting pic.twitter.com/Ho9pPl6v5H

— Attentive Media (@AttentiveCEE) October 3, 2023

Moreover, in the aftermath of the incident, Thailand’s prime minister on Oct 4, pledged to implement “preventive measures” following the shooting, which resulted in two fatalities and sparked renewed concerns about the nation’s gun control regulations.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin observed a moment of silence at the mall and subsequently expressed the government’s condolences to the families of the two female victims, one of Chinese nationality and the other from Myanmar.

“I am confident Siam Paragon and government officials did their best to minimise the casualties and damage,” he said.

“Let this be the only time this happens. My government insists we will give priority to preventive measures,” he added, without giving details.