Two-year-old among three killed in Thailand armed robbery

BANGKOK, Thailand — A two-year-old boy was among three people killed in Thailand when a masked gunman robbed a jewellery shop, police said Friday (Jan 10).

Four others were seriously injured when the assailant began shooting indiscriminately with a handgun in central Lopburi province on Thursday night, before fleeing with jewellery worth 500,000 baht (S$22,306).

The other people killed were a security guard and salesperson, provincial police told AFP.

Shocking CCTV footage shows the attacker storming into the shop, opening fire and leaping over the counter as victims writhed in agony on the ground.

Deputy commander Sumeth Punsri said the deadly attack lasted only a minute before the gunman fled on a motorcycle.

Authorities have offered 100,000 baht for any information leading to his arrest.

Thailand has a high rate of gun ownership and the incident is the latest crime involving firearms to grab headlines in recent months.

Several shootings at courthouses late last year renewed concern about gun violence.

In one high-profile case, two lawyers were shot dead by a clerk at a court in the east of the country during a hearing over a land dispute. AFP