At least eight people were killed in a school shooting near Bangkok on Friday after a teenage student allegedly opened fire at a secondary school in Nonthaburi province, Thai police said.
According to national police, the teenager first allegedly shot and killed his grandparents before travelling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where three teachers and three students were fatally shot.
Police said the suspect also died during the incident. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death, while investigations into the motive continue.
Fifteen students were injured while attempting to flee the scene, although none sustained gunshot wounds, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee told Thai PBS.
The shooting triggered panic on campus as students and staff sought safety, while parents rushed to the school to collect their children. Emergency services, police officers and mental health professionals were deployed to the scene.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the attack as a tragedy.
“It’s such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?” he said.
The attack has renewed concerns over gun violence in Thailand, which has one of the highest rates of civilian firearm ownership in Southeast Asia. Despite previous pledges to tighten gun laws following a series of deadly shootings, including the 2022 nursery massacre that claimed dozens of lives, gun-related violence remains a significant public safety challenge.
Police are continuing their investigation into the incident.