A disgruntled soldier’s Makha Bucha Day shooting rampage in the central Thailand city of Korat horrified the nation as it slowly unfolded over 18 hours. What follows is a synopsis timeline of the tragic events.
Feb. 8: 3 p.m. – Police in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Muang District are notified that Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma, a soldier with the 22nd Ordnance Division, 2nd Army Support Command, shot dead Col. Anantaroj Krasae, his commanding officer, and his mother-in-law Anong Mitjan, allegedly over a land deal gone bad.
Jakrapanth then drives to the armory of his local army base and shoots soldiers in charge of the weapons resulting in one killed and two others injured. He steals as many guns as he could carry and an army Humvee and heads downtown. On the way, he shoots into a crowd of people and police on duty at the front of Wat Pa Sattharuam Temple resulting in nine people killed.
6 p.m. – Jakrapanth enters the Terminal 21 Korat shopping mall and shoots into a crowd of shoppers and security guards killing nine people. He also shoots gas cylinders causing an explosion and fire. All the while, he is live streaming the mayhem on Facebook.
Jakrapanth enters the mall, holding hostages as police start to blockade the area over a two-kilometer radius.
7:19 p.m. – Jakrapanth posts on Facebook that he is exhausted, showing he is on the fourth floor of Terminal 21.
Meanwhile, police in his hometown of Chaiyaphum take his mother in for questioning.
7:58 p.m. – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha acknowledges the situation and orders the deputy defense minister and army commander to take over the case, determine the cause and care for the injured and families of those killed.
9:33 p.m. – The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society blocks Jakrapanth’s Facebook page before the social network later shuts down his account.
10 p.m. – Shooting starts again inside the mall, bringing the death toll to 17 and 21 injured.
11:35 p.m. – Police and military special establish control of ground floor of mall and begin evacuating hostages.
Feb. 9, Midnight – The death toll climbs to 20 people and 41 hurt, 10 seriously. Police rescue 31 people without injuries from the mall and doctors and nurses from Maharach Hospital lead the medical effort with all area hospitals taking the injured.
12:53 a.m. – Twenty army special forces soldiers arrive from Prachuap Khiri Khan.
1:40 a.m. – Authorities continue the rescue effort, gradually taking over the mall floor-by-floor, evacuating 60 people inside on the basement floor.
3 a.m. – More gunfire erupts as ambulances take away the injured.
3:20 a.m. – Police and special forces try to storm the mall and end the siege, but are forced to turn back after three policemen are shot, one fatally in the head. Jakrapanth is said to be a highly trained sniper.
3:25 a.m. – Jakrapanth tries to escape by shooting his way out the back, but his plan is foiled and he retreats.
4:05 a.m. – St. Mary’s Hospital confirms officer shot earlier in the head has died.
5:50 a.m. – Gunfire erupts again.
7:30 a.m. – Death toll climbs to 21 dead and 33 hurt, including officer killed on duty.
8:40 a.m. – Officers allow rescue teams to bring injured people out of Terminal 21 under heavily armed guard.
8:55 a.m. –Jakrapanth is killed in a final siege.
9:23 a.m. – Confirmation of Jakrapanth’s killing by police S.W.A.T. officers, commandos from the Royal Guard Unit 904, Hanuman Unit of the Crime Suppression Division and army special forces.
