Thai PM suspends gun licences after school shooting

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has suspended firearms licences following a deadly school shooting last week. The incident left the teenage assailant, six school staff, and two grandparents dead before the boy took his own life. The bodies of the grandparents, who raised the shooter, were cremated alongside their portraits at a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok. The boy's casket, placed separately, was adorned with white flowers.

Among the mourners was Tawee Piewphong, who paid tribute to his brother-in-law, the grandfather, as a kind person despite the tragedy. He expressed shock at the killings and urged the boy that there are always solutions to problems, even at a young age. Another relative, Ajima, expressed deep sorrow for the boy, suggesting his age meant he likely faced many issues without anyone knowing why he resorted to violence.

Investigators are still seeking a motive for the shooting. However, police revealed the boy had watched violent videos online and brought a BB gun to school previously. Officials previously stated the boy faced academic stress and was bullied at school. A classmate mentioned the shooter was also the target of bullying.

The shooter used his grandfather's gun to kill his grandparents before entering the school, where he killed five teachers and staff and wounded a 12-year-old girl who died in the hospital on Saturday. Thailand has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the region, and despite previous pledges to tighten gun laws, repeated shootings have continued to occur.