Thailand faculty capturing: 14-year-old scholar kills 5 at college and his grandparents, officers say
A scholar opened hearth at a highschool outdoors Bangkok on Friday, killing no less than 5 folks and wounding greater than 20, based on authorities, who mentioned he additionally appeared to have killed his two grandparents on the household residence earlier within the morning.
The 14-year-old shooter took his personal life on the faculty, officers mentioned.
5 faculty workers members, together with lecturers and directors, died within the capturing round 10 a.m. at Debsirin Nonthaburi College in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Deputy Inside Minister Polapee Suwunchwee mentioned on the scene.
The boy additionally killed his grandparents on the residence he shared with them previous to the college capturing, Polapee mentioned.
Bangyai Hospital, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the college, mentioned 23 folks have been wounded, of whom 10 have been in vital situation, with most struggling gunshot wounds. Earlier stories gave conflicting casualty numbers.
A witness mentioned college students hid inside a classroom whereas they heard gunshots from one other constructing earlier than cops knocked on the door and cleared a means for them to go away the constructing.
Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant 50 meters (160 toes) from the college, mentioned there was the sound of a single gunshot after which a pause.
“After which there have been a number of steady photographs,” Amporn mentioned, recalling the slim highway outdoors the restaurant filling with fleeing college students. “College students have been working scared and pouring onto the road. Younger ladies have been holding one another’s palms and crying. I went inside to cover.”
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, talking after touring the college, confirmed stories that the shooter was 14 and had killed himself. He mentioned the coed had proven indicators of stress linked to highschool.
The gun, described by police as small and compact, was legally registered to his grandfather, he mentioned.
A crowd gathers outdoors a college the place deaths and accidents have been reported after a capturing in Thailand’s Nonthaburi province, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026.
About an hour after the capturing, folks stood outdoors comforting each other as police and first responders walked across the co-educational state faculty, which has an enrollment of about 3,000 college students starting from 12 to 18 years outdated.
All courses will probably be suspended between Aug. 10 and Aug. 14 and faculty workers have been instructed to earn a living from home throughout that point, the college mentioned.
Police discover grandparents lifeless at household residence
After the capturing, police went to his residence and located each grandparents lifeless of obvious gunshot wounds, regional police Commander Wattana Yeejeen mentioned.
The scholar appeared to have shot them earlier than attending faculty as regular. He waited till courses began and commenced capturing inside his classroom earlier than strolling out and firing extra photographs, Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan mentioned.
The boy fired greater than 20 photographs and police discovered he nonetheless had 30 rounds after capturing himself, he mentioned.
A number of relations, together with his uncle and sisters of the grandfather who have been on the household residence whereas police investigated, mentioned he normally saved to himself and was scholar.
The relations mentioned they have been unaware of any troubles he confronted at residence or faculty.
Thailand has excessive fee of gun house owners
Thailand has one of many highest charges of gun possession in Asia, second solely to Pakistan and much surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Knowledge collected in 2017 by the teams Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org of their final in depth worldwide examine discovered civilian gun possession in Thailand was about 15.1 weapons per 100 folks, in contrast with lower than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia.
Thailand had 3.49 deaths by firearms per 100,000 folks, based on 2023 statistics printed by World Inhabitants Assessment. That places it nicely behind components of Latin America and the Caribbean, however comparatively excessive in Asia. Solely the Philippines is larger in Southeast Asia.
In February, a 17-year-old stole a gun from police and opened hearth at a public highschool in southern Thailand, briefly taking folks hostage in a two-hour assault that killed one individual and injured two others.
A 14-year-old boy was accused of a 2023 capturing at a serious Bangkok shopping center.
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Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok and Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Nonthaburi, Thailand, contributed to this report.
