Thai mall gunman shot dead after deadly rampage

A Thai soldier who gunned down at least 20 people in a deadly rampage and hid in a mall overnight was shot dead by commandos on Sunday, ending a near-17-hour ordeal which left dozens wounded and stunned the country.

It was unclear how many people remained trapped inside the Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima — also known as Korat — as the gunman held out through the night, armed with assault weapons stolen from his barracks.

Volleys of gunfire rang out as the siege ran into dawn, hours after Thai security services stormed the ground floor and freed scores of stunned, terrified shoppers from a bloody rampage that the gunman — a junior army officer identified as Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma — had relayed via Facebook posts.

Commandos from elite Thai police units killed the gunman, officials said, after an operation involving hundreds of security personnel.

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Purported video from the scene shared on social media showed snipers in webbing on elevated walkways, aiming their rifles downwards as heavy gunfire echoed across a concourse below.

The official death toll is 20 and wounded 42… nine are in surgery,” Narinrat Pitchayakamin, a Korat doctor told reporters, revising down an initial death toll of 21.

But it was unclear if there were more victims inside the multi-level complex which was packed with Saturday shoppers when the gunman stormed in.

A fleet of ambulances left the front of the complex and forensic police poured into the grim crime scene, shortly before the gunman’s death was confirmed.

A police officer who took part in a raid to flush out the gunman was killed in clashes with the rogue solider, according to deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

He was hit and unfortunately, he couldn’t make it,” said Anutin.