Armed police officers on guard at Monday’s shooting scene at Thailand’s Or Tor Kor Market in Chatuchak, Bangkok. At least five people were killed and two injured. Photo by Narong Sangnak/EPA
Five people died on Monday in Thailand after a mass shooting at a popular seafood market in the south Asian country’s capital city.
The gunman at Or Tor Market in Bangkok died by suicide, Police Lieutenant Siam Boonsom confirmed to multiple news outlets.
Four of the victims were security guards and the fifth was a market employee, according to police. Two other market workers were injured.
Boonsom said the shooter was a Thai citizen. He allegedly had a dispute prior to the incident with the security guards after the shooter accused a guard of keying his car.
He added that the shooting was unrelated to Thailand’s diplomatic dispute with neighboring Cambodia.
Thailand has one of the highest gun ownership and gun-related homicide rates in the world in a country where even teachers are known to carry their own guns.
The deadly shooting at the Chatuchak district market in northern Bangkok hit at a popular tourist spot.
It arrived as Thai tourism officials seek to market the nation as a new tourist hub after its overwhelmingly popular gay marriage law took effect in January.
