Middle Schooler Opens Fire at Elite Thai School, Leaving at Least 7 Dead

At least seven people were killed on August 7 (local time) when a middle school student opened fire at a school in Nonthaburi Province, just northwest of Bangkok, Thailand.

According to Thai police, a student at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi Province opened fire indiscriminately before taking his own life.

A police spokesperson stated that the incident left seven people dead, including three teachers, three students, and the suspect, while 15 others were injured.

Two of the injured are in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll could rise further.

The 15-year-old suspect, an 8th-grade student at the school, reportedly used a firearm believed to have been obtained from his family.

After firing shots, the suspect reportedly barricaded himself on the third floor of a school building, blocking police from entering before taking his own life.

One student told Reuters that at first, they thought it was the sound of firecrackers or someone banging on objects, adding, "We heard several gunshots going 'bang, bang, bang,' and after a brief silence, the sounds started again."

Another witness told the Associated Press that when gunshots were heard from a different school building, students hid inside their classrooms, and responding police officers later knocked on doors to evacuate them.

Local broadcaster Thai PBS reported that police found the bodies of the suspect's grandfather and grandmother, who had been shot to death, at the suspect's home several kilometers away from the school.

Police believe the suspect killed them before opening fire at the school and are investigating the motive and circumstances of the crime by questioning the suspect's father and others.

The affected school is an elite public institution for students aged 12 to 18 and counts several prominent Thai politicians among its alumni.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed shock over the incident, extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and instructed relevant authorities to provide support measures for the victims.

Thailand, considered one of the countries with the highest gun proliferation in Southeast Asia, has frequently seen major violent crimes involving firearms.

In February of this year, a 17-year-old armed with a gun held a hostage situation at a high school in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, in southern Thailand, ultimately shooting and killing the school principal and injuring a female student.

In July of last year, a man went on a shooting rampage at a famous market in Bangkok, killing five security guards before taking his own life.

Additionally, in October 2023, a 14-year-old boy opened fire at Siam Paragon, a prominent shopping mall in Bangkok, leaving two dead and five injured.

It is estimated that around 10 million firearms are in circulation in Thailand, roughly one gun for every seven people.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.