Hundreds of mourners have attended a vigil in a northeastern Thai city for the victims of the worst mass shooting in the country’s modern history.
People in Nakhon Ratchasima city on Sunday lit candles, laid down flowers and chanted by the statue of a historic local heroine, Thao Suranari, as Buddhist monks led prayers for the 29 people killed and the 57 wounded.
The gunman, identified as 32-year-old rogue soldier Jakrapanth Thomma, went on a shooting spree late on Saturday, firing bullets at various locations around the city of before holing himself up at the Terminal 21 shopping centre.
The 17-hour ordeal, which included several gun battles and dashes for the exits by frightened shoppers, ended on Sunday morning when the security teams shot the attacker dead.
Officials said the gunman was angry over a financial dispute with his commanding officer, whom he made his first victim before stealing guns from an army camp. He then headed to the shopping centre, where he opened fire indiscriminately at people inside and outside the complex.
Those who attended the sombre vigil pointed their fingers to the sky as a symbol that their prayers would lead the souls of the dead to heaven. Others scrawled condolence messages on white sheets of paper laid out on the ground, including “Remember Forever” and “I wish you a good afterlife”.
Users on social media also expressed their sorrow.
“Told me not to cry when you were gone. But the feeling is overwhelming, it’s too much strong”.
Story written By Precious Paul