Suspect in Thai shooting surrenders after realising his actions caused panic, closure of 17 schools

BANGKOK - A man who caused widespread panic after he opened fire on a motorway and fled the scene turned himself in on the afternoon of Feb 18 when he realised that his actions resulted in the closure of 17 schools in Pathum Thani province.

Noparat Jinto, known as “L”, surrendered at the Pathum Thani Provincial Police Head Office at 4pm. He had contacted Police Lieutenant-General Khamronwit Thupkrajang, president of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization, to help facilitate his surrender.

During his surrender, Noparat explained that he turned himself in because he realised his escape had caused panic, leading to the closure of several schools and disrupting students’ education.

“I have children of my own, and I never imagined that my actions would cause such a huge disturbance to students,” Noparat told reporters.

He added that he initially went into hiding because he was unsure which police team would handle his arrest.

However, after being assured by Lt-Gen Khamronwit that he would be taken into custody by Pathum Thani police, he felt safe enough to surrender.

Noparat said that he opened fire on a motorway rescuer because he had been quarrelling with his wife while driving on the motorway.

When the rescuer suddenly opened his vehicle’s door, Noparat assumed his wife had called for help, which led him to act out of anger. He admitted to having been arguing with his wife for over two weeks.

After the shooting incident on the motorway, Noparat fled to Lat Lum Kaeo District in Pathum Thani.

The Pathum Thani police head office later handed him over to the Traffic Police Division, and a special police team was assigned to deliver him for further investigation.

Police Lieutenant-General Watana Yijeen, commissioner of Provincial Police Bureau 1, confirmed that Noparat would face multiple charges, including unlawfully detaining his wife, injuring her, and firing at a rescue official on the motorway in Chon Buri.

Earlier in the day, forensic police officers visited the area near Sang Saeng Village, in the Sam Muang Subdistrict of Lat Bua Luang District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, where Noparat abandoned his green Isuzu Dragon pick-up truck before fleeing the scene.

The officers conducted a detailed investigation, collecting DNA, fingerprints, and evidence from the area surrounding the vehicle and inside the vehicle.

In the truck bed, they found a single bullet hole, likely caused by a confrontation with officers during their pursuit. They also discovered that the left rear tyre was significantly flatter than the others.

Inside the truck, police found a 9mm magazine and 30 rounds of 9mm ammunition, but no firearm. These items were seized and sent to the forensic department for further examination. A bottle of water left in the vehicle was also collected for analysis.

Once the investigation was completed, the truck was moved from the scene to the Lat Bua Luang Police Station, and later transferred to the Lat Lum Kaeo Police Station for safekeeping as evidence in the case. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK