A distraught man shot dead a woman thought to be his lover in a Nonthaburi department store on Sunday, and then killed himself with the weapon, injuring a nine-year-old girl with a stray bullet as he did so.
The shooting occurred in front of iStudio store on the second floor of CentralPlaza Rattanathibet in Muang district at about 11am and caused panic to Valentine’s Day shoppers.
Pol Lt Supalak Promwong, a duty officer at Rattanathibet sub-police station, said Suchart Pheupradit, 50, shot Pijakkana Somsakul, 44, three times in the chest with a .38 revolver.
He shot himself in the head a minute later and died at the scene. Pijakkana succumbed to the gunshot wounds while being rushed to hospital.
One of the bullets hit a nine-year-old girl, Papassorn Kwaniam, in the neck. She was walking with her mother at the time. The girl is being treated at Pranangklao hospital and is reported to be in safe condition.
Police initially assumed Suchart had tried but failed to settle a love issue with Pijakkana, who was a sales assistant at the shopping mall. Pol Lt Supalak said the gunman had a grocery shop opposite the Ministry of Commerce.
Witness Apinya Duangprom, 24, who works at a coffee shop, told police she saw Pijakkana run up the escalator to the second floor with Suchart chasing her from behind. The man then pulled out a gun and open fire at her.