Police said the suspect is holed up inside a mall.

February 8, 2020, 6:57 PM

8 min read

At least 20 people are dead and 31 injured in Thailand, allegedly at the hands of a Thai soldier, according to police and local media outlets.

Police said the shooting took place in the Nakhon Ratchasima province and that the alleged culprit is still in the Terminal 21 mall. The situation is ongoing, according to a police spokesperson.

Thai security forces enter a shopping mall on Feb. 9, 2020, as they chase a shooter after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Feb. 8.

Thai security forces enter a shopping mall on Feb. 9, 2020, as they chase a shooter after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Feb. 8.Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

People in the area were advised to take caution as police say the suspect was still shooting his gun.

Thai police said they are clearing much of the mall, but have not said if the suspect has been apprehended.

Thai officials on guard outside the mall, after a suspected Thai soldier opened fire in a rampage at the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 2020.

Thai officials on guard outside the mall, after a suspected Thai soldier opened fire in a rampage at the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 2020.Narong Sangnak/EPA via Shutterstock

Around 10:30 a.m. ET, Thai police told those who were stuck in the mall to hide in a safe place and to mute their phones.

A U.S. citizen was rescued and is unhurt, acording to preliminary information provided to U.S. law enforcement. Authorities are investigating whether the act is terrorism-related.

Thai soldiers are seen behind a defensive line outside the Terminal 21 shopping mall, after a suspected Thai soldier opened fire in a rampage in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 8, 2020.

Thai soldiers are seen behind a defensive line outside the Terminal 21 shopping mall, after a suspected Thai soldier opened fire in a rampage in Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 8, 2020.Narong Sangnak/EPA via Shutterstock

According to The Associated Press, the suspect allegedly shot and killed a soldier and a woman over a land dispute, police told the outlet. The total number of gunshot victims is unclear at this time.

Preliminary details shared with the U.S. say the suspect then stole a military Humvee and weapons from an Army base where several more guards were injured. The suspect then fled to the local mall and fired at shoppers inside, where he reportedly held people hostage.

Thai security forces evacuate people on Feb. 9, 2020, as they chase a shooter after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Feb. 8, 2020.

Thai security forces evacuate people on Feb. 9, 2020, as they chase a shooter after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Feb. 8, 2020.Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

The alleged shooter posted messages to Facebook during the attack before his account was taken down, according to police.

"We don't know why he did this. It appears he went mad," defense ministry spokesman Kongcheep Tantrawanit said, according to Reuters.

The U.S. State Department is advising citizens in Thailand to avoid the area and to contact loved ones to check if they are safe.

Thai security forces take cover on Feb. 9, 2020 behind an ambulance as they chase a shooter hidden in a shopping mall after a mass shooting in front of Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

This handout from the Thai Royal Police's Crime Suppression Department, on Feb. 8, 2020, shows people being evacuated by police at a shopping mall during a deadly attack in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand.

This Feb. 8, 2020 handout from the Thai Royal Police's Crime Suppression Department's Facebook page shows a wanted poster for Jakrapanth Thomma, a Thai soldier, wanted in connection to a deadly attack in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima in which many people were killed.

Armed commando soldier escort people out of Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Feb. 9, 2020. A soldier is the suspected shooter responsible for a mass shooting at Terminal 21.

This Feb. 8, 2020 screenshot, from a video released by the Thai Royal Police, shows a fire on the compound of the Terminal 21 shopping mall during a shooting by a Thai soldier killed multiple people, according to authorities.

Terminal 21 shopping mall where a mass shooting took place by a Thai soldier in in Koran, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 8, 2020.

Terminal 21 shopping mall where a mass shooting took place by a Thai soldier in in Koran, Nakhon Ratchasima province, Thailand, Feb. 8, 2020.Zhang Keren/Xinhua via Newscom

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