A 14-year-old boy has been arrested after two people were killed in a shooting at a busy luxury mall in central Bangkok. A Chinese national and Burmese national were killed in the incident at Siam Paragon mall, according to Thailand’s national police chief, Torsak Sukvimol. A further five people were injured. Their condition is unclear. Torasak told media that the suspect had a history of mental health problems and had not taken prescribed medication. He said the suspect was in a confused state and “can’t communicate well”. Emergency services had earlier put the number of dead at three. Siam Paragon is one of Thailand’s most famous and upscale malls and a popular destination for tourists. Hundreds fled into the streets in central Bangkok as gunshots were heard. Thai media reported that gunfire was heard coming from a toilet in the mall. In a video shared on social media, apparently taken in the food court on the lower floor of the building, a staff member ducked below a dessert counter as gunfire was heard. Police said a suspect was apprehended shortly after 5pm. In footage showing the moment the suspect was apprehended by police, the teenager could be seen kneeling and putting his hands in the air. An image showed the suspect handcuffed and lying face down on the floor, wearing a baseball cap with a US flag on it. The prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, said in a post on Twitter, now known as X: “I am aware of the shooting event at Siam Paragon and have ordered the police to investigate. I am most worried about public safety.” Gun crime is not uncommon in Thailand, but mass shootings are rare. There has, however, been concern over such incidents over recent years. In October last year, 22 children were killed during a gun and knife attack by a former police officer at a nursery in Utthai Sawan, in north-east Thailand. In 2020, 29 people were killed and 57 wounded in a shooting across several areas, including at a shopping mall, in the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima. The incidents prompted discussion about gun control in the country. It was unclear how the teenager had accessed a gun, Torsak said. His parents have been contacted by police. On social media on Tuesday there were calls for an emergency SMS function to warn the public of such shootings. In a statement, Siam Paragon said police and the shopping centre’s security team had immediately evacuated customers and employees from the building. It expressed its condolences to the families of those killed. “We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the police, volunteers, and our security team for their dedicated efforts in bringing the situation under control,” it said.