Cambodian Gunmen Kill Tot

Say Boy Hostage Cried Too Much; Parents Beat Gunmen As Kids Rescued

(CBS/AP)  A scene of chaos ensued after the police siege.

Prak Chanthoeum said some of the parents grabbed three of the hostage takers from police and began beating and kicking them. "We could barely control the angry crowd," he said.

"It's a bad ending for sure," said Denis Richer of France, after trying to comfort the father of the young boy who died. "He was completely lost, he asked me to look for his wife which I did. I found an ambulance to bring the couple to the clinic."

He and other residents were shocked at the violence, noting that Cambodia is finally on the road to recovery after decades of war.

"Cambodia is a quiet country now," said Richer, who teaches at another school in Siem Reap. "We feel safe here. I still feel safe here."

"I hope this is a one off occurrence," said David Reader, the British ambassador, who was visiting the town.

A Western resident in Siem Reap, who demanded anonymity, said she was told by a teacher at the school that the children, most of them aged 2 to 6, came from Cambodia, Italy, Indonesia, South Korea, United States, Japan, Ireland, Singapore, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Switzerland.