thailand sources stated that at least 26 were killed, including a 13 year old boy, before a Thai soldier was gunned down in a malll that saw an "unprecedented" shooting spree. Offering the first speculation behind the motive, Thailand's prime minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said on sunday that he went on the rampage due to a debt dispute. Furthermore the attacker, a junior army officer identified as Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma, used a stolen M60 machine gun, rifles and ammunition from one of Thailand's largest barracks as well as a military humvee to carry out the attack.
Further the 17 hour-ordeal saw heavy exchanges of gunfire before the gunman was killed in Nakhon Ratchasima which is also known as Korat on sunday morning. The kingdom's premier said twenty-six people including civilians the youngest a 13 year-old boy and security forces were killed by the rogue soldier, .
He said "It is unprecedented in thailand, and I want this to be the last time this crisis happens," outside a hospital where victims, including at least two undergoing brain surgery, were being treated. Moreover Prayut, a gruff former army chief, blamed a "personal problem" over the sale of the house for the soldier's rampage, which began on saturday afternoon near an army barracks and was for several hours relayed by the gunman via facebook posts. Apparently the bloodshed began saturday afternoon when he shot three people among them at least one soldier at a senior officer's house and then at the nearby army barracks, before driving a military vehicle to the town centre.
