Thai sniper who killed 26 people was killed after 17 hours of siege

Jakrapanth Thomma interacted with followers on social media while shooting civilians. He was shot dead in the mall in which he was hiding after 17 hours of search by the security.

“No one can avoid death”: the message was left on Facebook by the 32-year-old soldier responsible for this weekend’s massacre in Thailand moments before the attack began. By the end of the night, just hours later, Jakrapanth Thomma had killed 26 and injured 57; was slaughtered after 12 hours surrounded. Authorities point to a land dispute as the reason for this attack, which was sometimes broadcast live on the sniper’s page.

The initial moments of this incident took place at the military base where Thomma was stationed, at around 3:30 pm local time (8:30 am in mainland Portugal). The man attacked the commander and two other, unidentified people, allegedly involved in a “land dispute” that is advanced by the authorities as one of the reasons for the attack. Then he fled in a stolen Humvee with several weapons. Arriving at the center of Nakhon Ratchasima, Thomma shot civilians indiscriminately. The images that circulated on social networks gave an account of the scale of the attack, showing several bodies on the streets and inside vehicles.

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Shooter posted selfie during FACEBOOK attack

After this first attack, the soldier shared a selfie where you could see a burning place in the background. He then went to the shopping center where he was barricaded for 17 hours. He continued to shoot inside doors, killing 17 other people and cornering a group that was held hostage. Outside the commercial surface, authorities planned the best way to neutralize the soldier without putting more civilians at risk – Thomma is described by army sources as a good sniper who has taken many courses, including planning ambushes.

Hundreds of people managed to leave the shopping center unharmed with the help of the authorities. The sniper’s mother was taken to the scene, hoping that Jakrapanth Thomma could be dissuaded and surrender to the authorities, something that did not come to fruition.

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In the shopping center, a soldier continued to publish on Facebook FACEBOOK

Still inside the shopping center, the sniper remained active on social media. He put on a photo of a covered face, armed with a machine gun. Meanwhile, video surveillance cameras showed the soldier walking through the various floors and corridors.

The arm of iron ended at 9 am local time (2 am in mainland Portugal) when the police entered the shopping center. For a few minutes, the sound of the gunfire was intense, not really understanding what was happening inside the building. After a waiting beat, the gunman’s death was confirmed, with authorities announcing the rescue of the eight hostages. Hours before they managed to neutralize the suspect, authorities had already tried unsuccessfully to reach the sniper: according to Reuters, one agent was killed and two were injured in that first attempt.

The Thai Prime Minister called the attack “unprecedented” in the country. Prayut Chan-O-Cha went to the hospital to visit the wounded in the shooting, warning of the need to look closely at the mental health problem. “There is no precedent in Thailand and I want this to never happen again,” he said. He also explained that it was a “personal conflict” with a relative of his commander.

As for the role of social networks, this was yet another massacre broadcast almost live. Before the shooting started, the man published a series of messages in which he complained of being a victim of corruption: “Do they think they can take money to spend in hell?” Although Thomma’s page was deleted by Facebook after the If the man was identified as the sniper – in a statement, the company also said it would analyze the remaining publications related to the incident – the Thai Army sergeant still managed to make several publications and videos during the attack. At one point, while shooting civilians in the city center , he asked if he should give up, saying he had a cramp in his finger. “I can’t move it anymore,” he said in a live video for his followers.