American goes amok with stolen gun in Pattaya, kills self after police showdown
An American man shot himself in the head after trying to fire at police officers early on Tuesday in Pattaya City.
Just after midnight, police were told that a 25-year-old American tourist called Giavasis Michael had stolen a gun from a shooting range in Bang Lamung district and fled toward his condo.
He was then seen arguing with an 18-year-old local, who happened to be near the condo, hitting him on the head and firing a gun in the air to threaten him.
Residents ran out of the building before police showed up to deal with the situation.
Police found the man standing at the building’s entrance and screaming at the ground. When they tried to approach him, the man started firing at the police and ended up injuring a local reporter in the foot.
The American then retreated to his room and police called on the man’s friend to help calm him down.
However, when the friend was unable to contact Michael, police broke into the man’s room to find him dead on the bed with a bullet wound in his head.
Judging from the dried blood, police reckoned he had killed himself about two hours earlier.
Police said the man had a history of mental illness and addiction to illegal substances, which may have led to his loss of control.
The body will be sent to the Central Institute of Forensic Science Thailand and officers will call on the US embassy to inform the dead mans’ family.