​​​​​​​Thai PM expresses condolence over mass shooting that claimed 27 lives 

Soon after a mass killings shocked Thailand, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha in a statement on Sunday said that the soldier who gunned down 27 people in the northeastern region of the country did it over a ‘personal problem.’ On Saturday, the shooter, angry over a financial dispute, killed two people and then went on a rampage as he drove into a busy mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, as per international media reports.

'Unprecedented in Thailand'

While standing outside the hospital where victims were sent after the targeted mall was evacuated, the Thai PM said that the tragic incident was unprecedented in Thailand and he wanted it to be the last time such a crisis ever happened. The mass shooting that stunned the country continued for 17 hours before the police gunned down the shooter. PM Chan-O-Cha also revealed that the gunman was under financial stress.

Read: Thai Gunman Among 27 Dead In 'unprecedented' Mass Shooting

Read: Thailand Shooting Causes Panic At Nearby Mall

Earlier on Sunday, the Thai leader took to Twitter to condole the deaths of people and said that the safety of citizens and officials was of utmost importance. He added that the tragic incident was a loss for both the parties and they should take lessons from the event. 

The standoff began after a  soldier started shooting at a military site and then at a shopping mall. Video taken outside the mall showed people diving for cover as shots rang out Saturday afternoon. Many were killed outside the mall, some in cars, others while walking.

Defence Ministry spokesman Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantrawanich named the gunman as Jakrapanth Thomma who held the rank of sergeant major. The gunman was responsible for the mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima, a hub for Thailand’s relatively poorer and rural northeastern region. Much of the shooting took place at Terminal 21 Korat, an airport-themed mall filled with colourful Lego sculptures, a merry-go-round and huge replicas of landmarks from around the world.

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Thai PM expresses condolence over mass shooting that claimed 27 lives 

(Image Credits: AP)