Thailand School Shooting Leaves at Least 7 Dead
A 14-year-old student is accused of killing five school staff and his two grandparents before taking his own life, Thai officials say.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - At least seven people were killed in a shooting at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, including five school staff members and the grandparents of the 14-year-old student accused of carrying out the attack, according to Thai authorities cited by The Associated Press.
The shooting took place at about 10 a.m. at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, northwest of the Thai capital. Police said the student later died by suicide.
The school is a co-educational state institution with about 3,000 students between the ages of 12 and 18. Thai Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said five teachers and administrators were killed at the school, while authorities later found the boy's grandparents dead at their home.
Shooting at Nonthaburi school
According to AP's reporting from the scene, police said the teenager appeared to have killed his grandparents before going to school. After classes had begun, he allegedly opened fire inside the school and later continued shooting as he moved through the building.
Police said more than 20 shots were fired and that additional ammunition was found on the teenager after his death.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed the suspect's age and said the boy had shown signs of stress related to school. Authorities have not established a definitive motive for the shooting.
Police also said the weapon was a small firearm legally registered to the boy's grandfather, according to AP.
Police and emergency responders moved students out of the school as officers secured the area. The school subsequently announced that classes would be suspended from Aug. 10 through Aug. 14, with staff instructed to work from home during that period.
Students flee as police secure school
The attack sent students into the surrounding streets as emergency personnel arrived.
Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant about 50 meters from the school, told reporters that the area quickly filled with frightened students.
"Students were running scared and pouring onto the street," she said.
A witness also told reporters that students had taken shelter inside a classroom after hearing gunfire from another building before police reached them and escorted them out.
Bangyai Hospital, about 5 kilometers from the school, reported that 23 people had been wounded, including 10 in critical condition. Most of the injuries were caused by gunfire, according to the hospital. Earlier reports contained differing casualty figures, and authorities continued assessing those injured.
Police investigate deaths at family home
After the shooting, police went to the family residence following reports involving the teenager's grandparents. Regional police Commander Wattana Yeejeen said officers found the home locked and, after entering, discovered both grandparents dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan said investigators believed the teenager had shot his grandparents before heading to school.
Family members who were present while police examined the residence described the boy as generally quiet and a good student, according to AP. They said they were unaware of problems he might have been experiencing at home or at school.
Authorities have not publicly established what prompted the attack.
Thailand's gun violence problem
The shooting comes amid broader concerns over gun violence in Thailand, which has a relatively high level of civilian firearm ownership compared with other countries in Southeast Asia, according to AP.
The country has also experienced other shootings involving young people. In February, a 17-year-old was accused of taking a firearm from police and opening fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, killing one person and injuring two others. In 2023, a 14-year-old was accused of a shooting at a major shopping mall in Bangkok.
The incidents have added to scrutiny of gun violence involving young people, but authorities have yet to establish the circumstances or motive behind Friday's attack.