Thailand School Shooting Leaves Eight Dead After Teen's Deadly Rampage
BANGKOK — A tragic shooting at a secondary school in Thailand's Nonthaburi Province has left at least eight people dead after a teenage student allegedly killed his grandparents before launching an attack on his school on Friday.
Thai police said the suspect first used his grandfather's handgun to fatally shoot both grandparents before travelling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he opened fire on students and staff.
Authorities confirmed that those killed included three teachers, three students, and the suspect's two grandparents. The teenager also died during the incident, although officials have not yet confirmed whether his death resulted from police action or was self-inflicted.
Emergency services and heavily armed police officers quickly responded to the school, securing the area as frightened students were evacuated and anxious parents gathered outside the campus to reunite with their children.
Several students described moments of panic as gunshots echoed through the school buildings. One student said she feared she would not survive the attack after hearing repeated gunfire from a nearby floor.
Officials also reported that 15 students suffered injuries while trying to escape, although none of those injuries were caused by gunfire.
Thailand's Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, described the shooting as a heartbreaking tragedy, expressing shock that such an incident could occur in the country.
Mental health professionals were deployed to provide counselling and emotional support to survivors, school staff and grieving families in the aftermath of the attack.
The incident has once again drawn attention to concerns over gun violence in Thailand, which has one of the highest rates of civilian firearm ownership in Southeast Asia. Calls for stricter gun control have resurfaced following several deadly attacks recorded in recent years.
Earlier this year, police arrested a teenager accused of using a police officer's firearm in a separate school shooting that left a principal dead and injured two students.
Thailand also witnessed one of its worst mass killings in 2022, when a former police officer carried out a deadly attack at a childcare centre in northern Thailand, killing dozens of children and adults.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into Friday's shooting as the country mourns another devastating act of violence.
#UTVAfrica#
