Thailand: Gunshots in Government Office, Ex-MP Arrested
Suspected shooter, reportedly a former lawmaker, fired at a senior official days after Thailand's deadliest shooting in nearly four years.
Thai police have apprehended a former lawmaker suspected of opening fire at a provincial government office near Bangkok, as reported by Tempo.CO. The incident occurred on Monday morning when the shooter entered the office around 11 a.m. local time and fired several shots at senior provincial officer Thongchai Yenprasert and his driver. Nonthaburi police chief Major Dejrapee Kongdee confirmed the shooting to Reuters.
Thongchai Yenprasert, the president of the provincial administration, tragically succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital after being administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene. This marks the latest in a string of violent incidents in Thailand, following a 14-year-old's shooting rampage the day prior, which left nine people dead and over 20 injured, according to the Bangkok Post.
The recent string of attacks has reignited discussions about the country's gun control laws, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul vowing to strengthen regulations. Currently, Thailand lacks mental health screenings as part of its gun control measures and permits individuals as young as 20 to possess firearms, as reported by the Small Arms Survey. The country has approximately 15 guns per 100 residents, the highest rate in Southeast Asia.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
