Gunman opens fire in Thai shopping center, leaving ‘several injured victims’ as terrified customers flee in panic as police rush to the scene

Thai police have confirmed reports of shots fired and injuries after an armed man with a handgun opened fire at a luxury shopping center.

Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic as police rushed to the Siam Paragon shopping center in central Bangkok. An ambulance also arrived on the scene.

Police said they had the situation under control. A rescue team confirmed that at least one person was injured.

Unverified videos shared on social media showed people, including children, running out the doors of the Siam Paragon mall as security guards led them out.

One of the videos showed people taking cover in a darkened room at a restaurant. The authenticity of the videos could not immediately be verified.

Local broadcaster Channel 3 reported that sounds similar to gunshots were heard inside, coming from a bathroom in the mall.

A major nearby transit stop was closed by officials as the evening rush hour began and heavy rain pounded the city.

After the first reports of gunshots, first responders could be seen entering the mall as sirens blared outside.

Witnesses said crowds of people were leaving the building, one of several shopping centers in the area popular with tourists and wealthy Thais alike.

A witness who was in the mall, a Chinese tourist named Liu Shiying, told the AP that she saw people running and said someone had opened fire. She said an alarm went off in the mall and the lights went out. She’s still taking cover in the mall.

‘We are temporarily hiding. Who dares to go out?’

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters he was awaiting details of the incident.

Srettha told reporters that he did not yet know anything about the victims, but that the national police chief had been sent to the scene.

Police spokesman Achayon Kraithong said the national police chief had ordered and sent officers to check the area to resolve the situation. Television showed long lines of traffic outside the mall in heavy rain.

Gun violence is common in Thailand. An ex-police officer killed 22 children at a daycare center last year in a shootout with a gun and a knife, while in 2020 a soldier shot dead at least 29 people and injured 57 in a rampage that stretched across four locations in and around northeastern Thailand . city ​​of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Police and mall officials were not immediately available for comment.

This is a breaking news story. More to follow…