Two army clerks have died and another has been injured at a military college in Bangkok after an army sergeant went on a shooting spree. The shooting took place on Wednesday morning at the Royal Thai Army War College.
The dead men have been named as Sergeant-Major 1st Class, Nopparat Inthornsunthorn, and Sergeant-Major 1st Class, Prakarn Sinsong, both clerks at the college. The third victim, Sergeant-Major 1st Class, Yongyuth Panyanuwat, was injured in the shooting and rushed to Phramongkutklao Hospital, a military hospital in the Ratchathewi district of the capital.
Army spokesperson, Colonel Sirichan Ngathong, says the perpetrator was 59-year-old Sergeant-Major 1st Class, Yongyuth Mungkornki, who was also a clerk at the college. It’s understood he arrived in his office carrying his gun at around 8.45am and began to shoot at colleagues.
According to some media reports, Yongyuth shouted that he planned to kill 10 people. After opening fire, the gunman fled the building but was apprehended by police and the military outside.
The Royal Thai Army has offered its condolences for the two fatalities and the one injured man, adding that it will pay all medical expenses for the injured clerk and take care of funeral arrangements for the dead men.
Sirichan says the army will fully cooperate with the police and will carry out a review of safety measures at its offices. She added that the army will also carry out its own investigation into the motive for the shooting.
Meanwhile, the gunman’s superior has stated that he believes Yongyuth was under a lot of stress due to ongoing health problems.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
