Young shooter to be medically evaluated before further questioning
The gunman who allegedly went on a shooting rampage inside Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok on Tuesday is not yet ready to give a statement and must undergo medical evaluation and treatment first, Pol Maj Gen Nakarin Sukontawit, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 6, said on Wednesday.
The suspect, a 14-year-old boy, was taken into police custody less than an hour after the first reported gunshots at the shopping mall in one of Bangkok’s most upscale shopping districts.
Two people were killed and five were injured in the incident. One of the deceased is a female Chinese tourist and the other is a Myanmar national, an employee in the mall.
Nakarin did not specify what injuries the suspect has sustained, but said that after medical treatment he will be sent to the Central Juvenile and Family Court to consider the course of action based on expert opinion.
He added that psychiatrists from Police General Hospital had performed a preliminary mental health evaluation on the suspect on Tuesday and concluded that he was not ready to give a statement. The police will evaluate the suspect again after medical treatment, added Nakarin.
Investigators are also checking the gun he allegedly used to determine how and where he obtained it.
