A man told police it was a “family issue” that caused stress and led him to grab a gun and shoot at least 40 rounds early Friday morning near a downtown university campus.
After a standoff lasting several hours, Ekkachai Charueksilp, the 44-year-old owner of a sporting goods store in Soi Chula 10, was taken into custody around 11am and is now being held at the Pathumwan Police Station.
He told police the family problems caused him to open fire; at least one witness said he fired shots in their direction just before dawn in the street not far from the elite Chulalongkorn University campus.
No injuries were reported. Pedestrians and motorists Friday morning were advised to stay away from the area.
At around 10:45pm, deputy police spokesman Col. Kritsana Pattanacharoen said the incident was not a mass shooting and urged the public not to panic.
Still, the scene of another gunman opening fire in a public place rattled nerves coming days after a soldier killed 29 and injured dozens at a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima province in what is considered Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting ever.
Twitter hashtags #ChulaSoi10 and #DowntownShooting were trending hashtags this morning.
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Police surround gunman who fired weapon near Chulalongkorn University
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