Thais mourn the victims of Terminal 21 shooting
Images adapted from Khaosod and Thairath
8th February 2020 saw one of the most brutal shootings in Thailand, with a gunman opening fire at Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat). This news comes almost after a month since the shocking Lopburi shooting earlier this year.
The shooter was 32-year-old Thai soldier Jakraphanth Thomma, who went on a rampage after having a conflict with his commanding officer over a trade agreement. He then stole guns and an army jeep from the military base, shooting other personnel who were onsite – including the officer and his mother-in-law.
It was after this that Thomma made his way to Terminal 21 Korat, where he shot 29 people dead and injured 58.
The entire stand-off took over 16 hours, and the gunman was finally killed by the police around 7am on 9th February 2020.
Over 1,000 people came together for vigil
Image credit: Khaosod
Locals in Nakhon Ratchasima and its surrounding provinces came together to pay their respects to the victims and their families on 10th February. Victims included a family with a 2-year-old child, as well as a 13-year-old boy.
Image credit: Thairath
Image credit: Reuters
29 monks were invited to pray and give merit to the souls, while the crowd lit candles and said their prayers and well wishes for everyone involved.
People also brought dolls and flowers as offerings
Image credit: Thairath
Mall closed till 13 Feb for memorial service
Terminal 21 Korat will be closed from now till 13th February in respects of the lives lost during the shooting.Visitors are also welcome to give merit at the space outside the mall.
Government sectors together with other organizations have also created a donation campaign to raise money for the families of the victims. You can join the campaign by donating to the following account: 678-9-97951-4. Donations have since gone up to around ฿7.3 million.
Image credit: Thairath
Respect to the officials who helped control the situation as best as they could by putting their own lives in danger. Our hearts go out to those involved in the tragedy as well.
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