BANGKOK, Feb 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Thai police today arrested a man suspected of killing his ex-wife and injuring another woman at a cosmetic clinic in a shopping mall in Bangkok.
Chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Lt. Gen. Pakkapong Pongpetra, said the 29-year-old suspect was arrested at Kaeng Krachan in Phetchaburi province at 4.30 am (local time) today.
He said police also found a handgun and bullets in the house.
“The suspect admitted that personal problems following their recent divorce was the motive,” he said.
He added that the suspect was taken into custody for further investigation.
The gunman was charged with several offences including murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession and discharge of firearms.
In the incident around 3.15 pm (local time) yesterday, the gunman stormed into the beauty clinic at the Century The Movie Plaza near Victory Monument in Ratchadewi District and fired at least seven shots at his 28-year-old ex-wife.
The gunman and the woman were married for 10 years with a child and they just got divorced on Feb 13.
Local media reported that the gunman left a note in his room telling the police he need time to kill his ex-wife’s new boyfriend and also to kill himself.
Police brought in the suspect’s mother to persuade the suspect to surrender.
The incident was the third gun violence at a mall in Thailand this year.
On Feb 8, a rogue soldier killed 29 people including police and army officers and wounded 58 others at the Terminal 21 Shopping Mall in Nakhon Ratchasima.
He was shot dead by security forces after after being holed up for more than 12 hours at the mall.
On Jan 9, a masked gunman started a shooting spree that killed three people, including a two-year-old boy, in a jewellery store robbery at a shopping mall in Lop Buri Province.
— BERNAMA