By RT
A Thai soldier has killed at least 10 people in a mass shooting and taken hostages inside a shopping mall while taking selfies and livestreaming on social media, according to police and local media reports.
The active shooter situation occurred in a shopping center in Korat, also known as Nakhon Ratchasima, in northeast Thailand. The suspect, reportedly an Army sergeant, used an assault rifle to kill at least 10 people in area, police said. Several others are wounded.
Panic in the mall after a Thai soldier went on a shooting rampage in Nakhon Ratchasima, now holding 21 hostages
A combined operation of police & army is underway to look for the shooter who killed at least 12 people in #Thailand ðđðhttps://t.co/TnofxM4eaI pic.twitter.com/fkYfcqtEag
â Saad (@SaadAbedine) February 8, 2020
According to reports, the gunman has taken hostages on the fourth floor of the mall and Thai special forces are preparing to storm the building.
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â āļāļļāļāļāļēāļĒāļāđāļāļĒ (@K_20_01) February 8, 2020
A video posted to social media show people fleeing the scene as security forces stand guard outside the mall. In another clip, a large fire burns near the building.
āļāļāļĢāđāļēāļĒāļĒāļīāļāļāļąāļāđāļāđāļŠ. pic.twitter.com/phxf6rViAL
â āļŪāļļāļ31 āļāļāļĢāļĢāļēāļāļŠāļĩāļĄāļē Hook31 (@Hook31_Thailand) February 8, 2020
Local media have reported that the shooter took selfies and livestreamed during the attack. One of the purported photos shows the suspect wearing a combat helmet and a face mask as he holds up an assault rifle.
Social media users posted what appear to be short clips of a livestream, with the suspect panning the camera to show the area around him. The gunman reportedly posted status updates on Facebook during his rampage, including âShould I surrender (give up)?â and âWell I stopped already.â
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