BANGKOK – The father of the teenage gunman who went on a shooting rampage at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon Mall apologised to the mother of one of the victims who was killed in Tuesday’s tragedy.
Clad in a black shirt, the man dropped to his knees and wept, seeking forgiveness when he met the mother of the 31-year-old Myanmar national at Wat Phasuk Maneechak in Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi yesterday.
Despite still grieving her loss, she accepted his apology.
“It is not the father’s fault but rather your son’s,” she said, reported news portal, Khaosod Online.
She said the parents of the teenage gunman must be heartbroken as she was.
Meanwhile, the man also offered the victim’s mother money. She, however, rejected it saying that no amount of money could make up for her loss.
He also paid his respects to the deceased.
The heart-wrenching event unfolded on Tuesday when a 14-year-old assailant, using a modified blank-firing pistol, discharged live rounds within the confines of Siam Paragon Mall. This act resulted in the loss of lives, including a Chinese and a Myanmar national, with five others sustaining injuries.
On Friday, in a letter addressed to the affected parties, the teenager’s father expressed profound regret, stating:
“My family and I would like to humbly ask for forgiveness and extend our profound apologies to the family of the deceased, the injured, and their families who were most affected by this event, and to everyone from the deepest recesses of our hearts, with our utmost respect.
“We greatly regret also the damage and impact to the country as a whole,” the father said in a letter.
Meanwhile, police arrested a 27-year-old man in Bangkok and a husband-and-wife in Prachuap Khiri Khan province suspected of selling ammunition illegally to the teenage gunman.
Police raided a house in Bang Khae District in Bangkok yesterday, seizing an automatic Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson revolver, and 2,765 rounds of various types of bullets. – Bernama, October 8, 2023
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