Authorities report that a teenage suspect shot and killed his grandparents using his grandfather’s handgun before carrying out a school shooting at a secondary school north of Bangkok on Friday.
The school shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province left three teachers and three students dead and at least six others wounded.
Outside the school, dozens of police officers and emergency responders assembled while distressed staff and weeping pupils consoled each other as parents rushed to collect their children.
“I was afraid that I would die, and I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to pursue my dreams,” said Pawarisa Maylissa, a grade 12 student who hopes to attend medical school.
“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.”
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee reported that fifteen students sustained injuries while fleeing the scene rather than from gunshot wounds.
Citing officials, local news outlets identified the gunman as a teenage student enrolled at the school, confirming he also died following the attack. Conflicting accounts emerged regarding his death, with some sources claiming police officers fatally shot him and others reporting he took his own life.
Photographs published by local media depict the suspect wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, surrounded by numerous spent shell casings on the ground.
Meanwhile, an AFP reporter saw a team of twelve mental health specialists arrive at the campus amid heavy traffic congestion surrounding the area.
Backstory…
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the area, with an estimated 10 million weapons in circulation—one for every seven people.
Past promises to tighten gun restrictions have not averted subsequent shootings.
In February, Thai police shot and captured a teenager who opened fire on a school in southern Thailand , killing the principal and injuring two students.
A local police chief stated at the time that the suspect had been hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in December and had been released.
Just before the incident, the kid assaulted a police officer with a knife and stole his firearm, a 9mm pistol, which he then used in the attack.
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