Bangkok mass shooting leaves six dead, shooter turns gun on himself

Six people were killed as a gunman carried out a mass shooting attack in Thailand's capital, Bangkok, on Monday (Jul 28). A video of a man with a gun is going viral in the aftermath of the tragic shooting, in which multiple casualties are being reported. The attack happened at the Or Tor Kor Market, which is a short distance from Chatuchak Market, a major tourist destination in Bangkok that throngs with visitors every weekend. The death toll, which earlier stood at four, has now jumped up after the death of a security guard who was critically injured and the suicide of the shooter.

According to an Anadolu news agency report, at least four people were killed, and another two were injured in the attack. The victims include three security personnel and a market vendor. Following the attack, the shooter reportedly turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. The motive behind the attack is not yet known, and authorities have launched an investigation. Reports suggest that the killer was a 61-year-old man who previously worked at the same company as a security guard. After carrying out his shooting attack, the suspect reportedly sat on a bench in the middle of the market and fatally shot himself.

Speaking to AFP, Bang Sue deputy police chief Worapat Sukthai said that "Police are investigating the motive. So far it's a mass shooting". He added that the police were working to release the identity of the dead perpetrator and were also probing "for any possible link" to the current border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, national police chief Kitrat Phanphet, in a statement, said that an urgent investigation had been ordered, with officers combing CCTV footage of the attack. As per AFP, mass shootings are not uncommon in Thailand; one contributing factor is the relative ease of obtaining firearms because of lenient gun control enforcement.