NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand – A sea of candlelight illuminated the bronze statue of Thao Suranari on Sunday night as thousands of residents gathered to honor the 29 people killed in a 16-hour rampage. The attack, which began Saturday afternoon and ended at dawn Sunday, left 57 others wounded. Security forces fatally shot the gunman, Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma, inside the Terminal 21 shopping mall.
Investigators say the 32-year-old soldier’s rampage was triggered by a personal land dispute with his commanding officer. Police report that Jakrapanth killed Col. Anantarote Krasae at the officer’s home shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday.
He then drove to his army base, forced his way into an armory, and seized an HK33 assault rifle, two M60 machine guns, ammunition, and a stolen Humvee. Livestreams and security footage show him firing at vehicles during his 15-kilometer drive into the city center, leaving victims on the highway and in the mall parking lot. Inside Terminal 21, he held hostages, posted selfies and a Facebook message reading “Death is inevitable for everyone,” and held off special forces teams overnight.
Troops cornered him on the basement level around 9 a.m. Sunday and shot him after he refused to surrender. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday afternoon and met wounded survivors at Maharat Hospital.
When asked why the siege lasted so long, he stated, “The authorities did their best to end the siege without compromising the safety of the civilians trapped inside the mall.” He added, “I hope this is the only one and the last incident and that it never happens again. No one wants this to happen. It could be because of this person’s mental health in this particular moment.” Defense ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich announced a full inquiry covering “every minute from the first shot to the last” and promised to review how a single soldier accessed such firepower.
By sunset Sunday, the plaza around the Thao Suranari statue had become an impromptu memorial. Monks chanted while families placed white roses and lit incense as victims’ names were read aloud.
Many wept, while others stood silently holding up mobile phone flashlights. City officials estimate more than 5,000 people attended the vigil before midnight. “We came because we could have been inside that mall,” said 41-year-old mall worker Nongnuch Saengkham, still wearing her employer’s badge. “My shift starts at 5 p.m.; the shooting began at 3.
Thirty minutes later and I would have been in the food court.” Police sources indicate Jakrapanth had quarreled with Col. Anantarote over a housing deal in which the soldier claimed he was cheated of 50,000 baht. The army stated the gunman had no recent disciplinary action and had passed standard psychological screening.
Critics point to loose controls on military weapons. “If a private dispute can end with 29 corpses, something is broken,” said Chamnan Chanruang, a political-science lecturer at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University. The government has ordered all units to lock down arms stores and audit ammunition within seven days.
Facebook removed the shooter’s account and promised faster cooperation when users broadcast violence. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the state would cover medical bills for the injured and provide 300,000 baht in compensation to victims’ families.
The mall remains cordoned off as forensic teams search for evidence. Temples across the province have scheduled simultaneous merit-making ceremonies on Monday.
