Thai middle schooler kills 8 in school shooting rampage

A middle school student opened fire at a school in Nonthaburi Province, on the northwestern outskirts of Bangkok, on Friday (local time), killing at least eight people.

Thai police said the student shot people at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi Province before dying by suicide. Thailand's health minister told the BBC that five teachers were killed in the attack. Combined with the suspect's two grandparents, found dead earlier, and the suspect himself, the total death toll stands at eight. More than 15 people were wounded, some in critical condition.

The suspect, a 14-year-old student at the school, used a 9mm pistol belonging to his grandfather and was carrying 34 additional rounds of ammunition. He died by suicide after the shooting. The BBC, citing Thailand's deputy interior minister, reported that the suspect was an avid gamer, and that school officials described him as a student with good grades who was not aggressive.

A student who was at the scene said the sounds initially seemed like firecrackers or someone banging on something. "There were several 'bang, bang, bang' sounds, then it went quiet for a moment before starting again," the student said. Another witness said students hid inside classrooms after hearing gunshots from another building, and that police officers who arrived knocked on doors to evacuate them.

Police found the bodies of the suspect's grandparents at his home several kilometers from the school, both shot dead. Investigators believe he killed them before carrying out the school attack and are probing the circumstances and motive behind the killings.

The school is a prestigious public institution serving students aged 12 to 18 and counts prominent Thai politicians among its alumni. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was shocked by the incident, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed relevant authorities to provide support to those affected.

Thailand, considered one of the most heavily armed countries in Southeast Asia, has seen a string of deadly gun attacks. In February, an 18-year-old student at a high school in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province in the south, took hostages before shooting and killing the school principal and wounding a female student. In July last year, a man opened fire at a well-known market in Bangkok, killing five security guards. In October 2023, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed two people and wounded five others at the Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok.