Thailand School Shooting: Teenager Kills Grandparents, 6 Others

A teenage boy described by a classmate as a “troubled kid” has killed his grandparents before opening fire at a secondary school in Thailand, killing at least six more people, police said on Friday.

According to the national police, the teenager first shot dead his grandparents with his grandfather’s handgun before heading to Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, bordering Bangkok.

He allegedly opened fire at the school, killing three teachers and three students.

The suspect, who was identified by local media as a student of the school, also died during the incident. Police did not immediately clarify whether he was shot by officers or died by suicide, as conflicting reports emerged.

Police and emergency responders surrounded the school as the area was cordoned off. Parents gathered outside waiting for their children, while students and members of staff were seen comforting one another.

A Grade 12 student, Pawarisa Maylissa, who hopes to study medicine, said the shooting left her fearing for her life and future.

“I was afraid that I would die, and I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to pursue my dreams,” she told AFP.

“I heard many gunshots very loudly because it seemed the suspect was on the floor directly above us. I could even hear bullets hitting the floor.”

Initial reports said 15 students were injured while attempting to escape the shooting, although they were not directly hit by gunfire.

Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee initially put the number of injured students at 15 while speaking to local broadcaster Thai PBS. Police later said 23 people were injured.

A 17-year-old student, Purin Khumchoo, said he narrowly escaped being shot by the teenager, whom he described as his junior.

“He was my junior, but I had a feeling that he was a troubled kid. My group of friends who knew him said he was interested in the FBI and guns, and that he was bullied by many other students,” Purin told AFP.

He said the suspect appeared highly trained when he confronted him with the weapon.

“When I saw him aiming the gun at me, I thought he looked very professional, as if he had been trained for a long time,” he said.

Photos published by local media showed the suspect dressed in a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, with several spent bullet casings reportedly scattered on the ground.

An AFP journalist also reported seeing mental health workers arrive at the school as traffic around the area became heavily congested.

Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said the government would provide psychological support to affected students and strengthen security measures in schools.

“We haven’t checked whether students have brought weapons to school. Our level of security is not that tight,” he told reporters at the scene.

A motorcycle-taxi driver, Thongchai Thanakat, who has worked in the area for about two decades, said he was waiting outside the school when he heard more than 10 gunshots.

He said he subsequently saw students running out of the school in panic.

“Some of them weren’t even wearing shoes,” Thongchai told AFP.

“I feel very bad for one student whose body I saw after he was shot right through his head. It was very emotional for me.”

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the shooting as a horrific incident that should never have occurred.

“It’s such a terrible incident,” he told reporters at Bangkok’s Government House. “How could this happen in our country?”

The incident has again raised concerns about gun ownership and school security in Thailand, which has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia.

An estimated 10 million firearms are believed to be in circulation in the country, equivalent to roughly one gun for every seven people.

Previous attempts to tighten gun regulations have failed to prevent a series of deadly shootings.

In February, Thai police shot and arrested a teenager who allegedly opened fire at a school in southern Thailand, killing the principal and injuring two students. The teenager reportedly used a police officer’s weapon during the attack.

A local police chief said at the time that the suspect had been hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in December before later being discharged.

Thailand was also rocked by one of its deadliest mass killings in 2022, when a former police officer armed with a gun and knife attacked a nursery in the country’s north, killing 24 children and 12 adults.