A manhunt is currently underway in Thailand, after a soldier went on a shooting rampage in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing at least 20 and injuring dozens more.
Per reports from Reuters, the suspect, a junior officer, began his rampage at a house before going to a military base, where he took a gun from a weapons store and fired at more people.
He then continued his shooting spree in the Terminal 21 shopping mall, allegedly making a series of posts to social media. Facebook later confirmed that it had removed the man’s account.
Police and soldiers stormed the shopping centre and helped hundreds of people to escape, working floor by floor. Survivor Suvanarat Jirattanasakul said:
“It was frightening because I could hear the occasional gunshot … we waited a long time for the police to come and help us, many hours.”
Kongcheep Tantrawanit, a spokesman for the defense ministry of Thailand, said that the gunman is still understood to be at large inside the shopping centre.
Tantrawanit said that it is unclear whether the man has taken any hostages. “We don’t know why he did this. It appears he went mad,” he told media.
In a statement on the shooting, Facebook said:
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community affected by this tragedy in Thailand. There is no place on Facebook for people who commit this kind of atrocity, nor do we allow people to praise or support this attack.”
