The victims left behind a pair of twin daughters…
On October 3rd, a shooting incident occurred at the CentralWorld shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, resulting in the unfortunate death of one Chinese citizen and another Chinese citizen being injured.
The 14-year-old gunman involved in the shooting has been arrested by the police and is facing multiple charges. The Thai government has confirmed that both Chinese tourists involved in the shooting, one deceased and one injured, entered Thailand under the latest visa-free policy. Thai media expressed concerns that this shooting incident has tarnished Thailand’s international image and is highly detrimental to the confidence of the tourism industry, which has just started to recover. According to Thai law, due to the suspect being a minor, it may be difficult to impose the death penalty, but the suspect’s parents will bear a significant civil liability for compensation. Reports have called for more severe punishment for parents who have significant negligence in disciplining their children.
The Chinese victim, only 34 years old, had twin daughters who are still unaware of the shooting incident.
On the morning of October 4th, the family of the Chinese victim informed reporters that the deceased was their aunt, who left behind twin daughters aged around five. The daughters are unaware of their mother’s passing, and the family finds it difficult to break the news to them.
The leader of the Thai Chinese community organization, Wutthipong Chitpimai, stated that Chinese volunteers from the organization will assist the Chinese Embassy in Thailand with the necessary arrangements. The family member, Li Yi (pseudonym), stated that the deceased Chinese tourist was her aunt.
The Thai Chinese newspaper, De Shan Tang, confirmed that the victim was Jinnan Zhao, a 34-year-old tourist and a mother of twins. Chinese-speaking volunteers from De Shan Tang will assist the Chinese Embassy in Thailand with the necessary arrangements.
According to Li Yi, the suspect opened fire in the women’s restroom on the second floor of the mall. Her aunt was among the victims, and her mother was injured. Li Yi and her family had planned to return to China on the early morning of October 4th but encountered this unexpected tragedy.
The suspect, dressed in tactical attire, was found with a large amount of ammunition upon searching his residence. Due to restrictions imposed by Thai laws protecting minors, the Thai police cannot disclose more details and have given the suspect the codename “Oil.”
The police described the suspect, “Oil,” as approximately 1.75 meters tall, slim, and agile. On the day of the incident, he wore tactical-style tight-fitting clothes (a black top and brown trousers) and black boots for ease of movement. “Oil” began shooting in the restroom near the LV store on the M floor of the CentralWorld mall and was arrested in a furniture store on the third floor. Witnesses claim that the suspect may have brought the weapon into the mall from an unsupervised area due to loopholes in the security checks.
During a search of “Oil’s” residence, the police discovered an M4 BB gun, M16 ammunition, and shotgun ammunition. Additional quantities of 9mm ammunition were found in the bedroom. “Oil’s” parents claim to be unaware of their son’s habit of collecting weapons and ammunition because they reside in a different location from him.
The police found that the suspect used a modified training gun that fired solid bullets instead of hollow ones, but it is unclear who carried out the modification.
The suspect has been transferred to the Thai Juvenile Court. He currently faces a total of five charges, including premeditated murder, attempted murder, unauthorized possession of firearms, carrying firearms in towns, villages, or public roads without permission, and firing a gun in a public place without permission. The police are considering whether to add more charges.
It was reported that the suspect, prior to the incident, enjoyed using a social media application for chatting.
This application is known for its strong confidentiality and features like chat rooms, which allow users to find like-minded strangers. The suspect used the alias “hunterz” on this platform.
Due to the suspect closing group chats and deleting friends prior to the crime, it has been difficult to access the chat records from that time.
Online friends of the suspect have anonymously revealed that he previously claimed to live-stream the act of committing murder.
One online friend of the suspect stated that they were acquainted with him online and would encounter each other almost daily while playing games. “hunterz” had conflicts with multiple users in online communities, leading to temporary bans from administrators.
After being unbanned, “hunterz” significantly reduced his online presence and it became challenging to engage in conversation with him. This online friend also mentioned that “hunterz” often displayed emotional volatility, indicating a heavy psychological burden. They learned from their conversations that he had experienced bullying at school. He also mentioned being diagnosed with symptoms of schizophrenia but did not take medication to control it. According to several other online acquaintances, they did not notice any signs of mental illness during their regular chats.
Additionally, the suspect had previously posted a 6-second video online showcasing his target shooting training, stating, “Today was explosive.” In the video, he rapidly fired shots at a high speed, producing deafening gunshots. One internet user posted a thread claiming that they had previously practiced shooting at the “Bangkok Shooting Club” and while organizing photos, they discovered that the person in the background was the suspect in the shooting incident, dressed exactly the same as he was on the day of the crime.
The user mentioned that the teenager had fired “at least a hundred rounds” that day, which is difficult to imagine for a 14-year-old’s training volume. Another frequent shooter mentioned that firing 50 rounds would already be quite exhausting for the average adult.
According to map information, this shooting range is located in the central area of Bangkok. The official website displays the most expensive package at a price of 14,400 Thai Baht (approximately 2,740 RMB), which includes 174 rounds of ammunition and 5 types of firearms, including the Glock-19 pistol seen in the previously posted image by the teenager.
The package not only offers pick-up and drop-off services and photography/videography, but also shooting instruction provided by retired Thai soldiers in English. One internet user posted that the security measures at shooting ranges in Bangkok are generally relaxed, with some places even hanging firearms on the walls that can be easily accessed by anyone entering the premises.
When a journalist from Red Star News attempted to make a reservation as a tourist, the shooting range’s website personnel quickly confirmed the order without requesting any identification information. When the journalist further inquired about whether minors were allowed to enter and shoot, the staff refused to answer.
Source: The above information is translated from online sources.