PATTAYA — An American citizen killed himself inside his condominium in Pattaya on Tuesday early morning after going on a shooting rampage that injured one person, police said.
The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Michael Giavasis. He was reportedly found dead inside his room following an hours-long siege by the police. The man reportedly stole a pistol from a shooting range earlier on Monday evening before firing shots at the police. One reporter was injured.
According to police, the man went to the shooting range in Bang Lamung district and seized a handgun loaded with 10 bullets. He then fired two rounds at a shooting instructor and made his way back to his condominium in Pattaya City. The instructor was unhurt.
On the way, Giavasis allegedly fired two more shots, but hit nobody.
At the condominium, he went into an argument with a resident, where he shot another round into the air, and then fled into his condominium room, police said. When police commandos arrived at the scene, Giavasis turned his gun on them. One of the shots hit Channel 3 reporter Tiwakorn Krismanee who was covering the standoff.
The SWAT team broke into his room shortly after midnight and found the suspect dead on his bed with a gunshot wound in his head, media reports say.
His motives are not immediately clear. However, police said Giavasis had a history of substance abuse. He reportedly had a Thai wife, but they separated after he threatened her with a knife.
Police said his parents also recently arrived in Bangkok to visit Giavasis, but were unable to meet him prior to his death because they were put in state quarantine. His family has been notified of the incident, police said.
