Jakrapanth Thomma, the soldier behind Thailand’s deadly mass shooting, remains an enigma
- Thai army has released few details about 31-year-old gunman who killed 29 people, blaming meltdown on ‘personal dispute’ over debt
- Jakrapanth had a penchant for posting photos and videos with weapons and combat gear on his Facebook account
The “pings” from the metal targets at a gun range ring out as a baby-faced shooter smiles for the camera – a chilling prelude to the mall massacre by a Thai soldier who shared his prowess as a marksman on social media.
But more than a day after he was shot dead following a near 17-hour shooting spree that killed 29 people and left dozens more wounded, the killer – Jakrapanth Thomma – remains something of an enigma.
The Thai army, powerful yet reliant on conscripts and the projection of discipline, has released few details about the 31-year-old, blaming his meltdown on a “personal dispute” over debt.
“He didn’t have a bad record, only this time,” army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said.
Even Thailand’s gossip-prone local media has so far shied away from sharing rumours about him, while Facebook was swift to shut down his account as the shooting unfolded.