BANGKOK (BN24) — A gunman opened fire inside a crowded food market in Thailand’s capital on Monday, killing at least five people and injuring two others before being found dead in what authorities believe was a suicide.
The shooting erupted shortly after noon at the Or Tor Kor Market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. Police responded to the scene around 12:38 p.m. local time, where they discovered the bodies of three security guards and a female vendor, local news outlets reported. Two other women were seriously wounded and taken to Phyathai Phahol Hospital.
The suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, was found a short time later slumped on a bench near the market. He was dressed in a black T-shirt, camouflage shorts and carrying a rucksack, according to the Bangkok Post. Authorities said he appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Initial investigations suggest the motive behind the mass shooting was personal, though the attack took place near an aid point set up for people affected by the ongoing conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border. The Nation reported that the suspect was a former security guard at the market and had previous personal conflicts tied to his employment, including a relationship with a vendor and a dispute with a co-worker in 2019.
“This is being investigated as a mass shooting,” Deputy Police Chief Worapat Sukthai of Bangkok’s Bang Sue district told AFP, as reported by The Independent. “We are still working to determine the exact motive.”
Authorities sealed off the area while investigators combed the scene for evidence. Police urged members of the public to avoid the market until it was deemed safe.
Monday’s deadly rampage adds to Thailand’s growing list of high-profile mass shootings in recent years, prompting renewed scrutiny over access to firearms and the mental health of former security personnel.
Thai police have not issued an official statement or comment to international media regarding the incident as of Monday evening.
