Teachers, students killed in Thai school shooting near Bangkok

A teenage student at a school near Bangkok opened fire, killing both his own grandparents before targeting three teachers and three students at Debsirin Nonthaburi School. Dozens of police and emergency responders responded to the scene, as distraught parents rushed to retrieve their children. Pawarisa Maylissa, a grade 12 student, recounted her terror, fearing for her life and her dreams of attending medical school.

She described hearing numerous gunshots and the sound of bullets hitting the floor. Fifteen injured students sustained non-firearm related injuries while attempting to escape the shooter. The suspect, who was also confirmed dead, was identified as a fellow student at the school. According to local media, the shooter wore a purple school uniform and carried a black cross-body bag, with bullet casings scattered on the ground.

The incident has raised concerns about Thailand's high rate of gun ownership, estimated at approximately 10 million firearms in circulation, one for every seven inhabitants. Previous attempts to tighten gun laws have proven ineffective, as evidenced by past incidents of gun-related violence in Thai schools. In February, a teenager in the south of Thailand shot and killed a principal and wounded two students using a police officer's weapon, after being discharged from psychiatric treatment in December.

In 2022, an ex-policeman killed 24 children and 12 adults in a nursery, one of Thailand's deadliest massacres. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed his shock and sorrow at the incident, emphasizing that such a tragedy should never have occurred in their country.