A 14 year old student killed at least five people and himself in a shooting at a school outside Bangkok on Friday after fatally shooting his grandparents at home, police said, in Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly four years.
Police said the victims at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, located on the northwestern outskirts of Bangkok, were all teachers and school staff. The teenager used a firearm belonging to his grandfather and fired at least 26 rounds before taking his own life. Officers later recovered an additional 34 rounds of ammunition.
Authorities said 23 people were injured in the attack, with nine reported to be in critical condition.
Students were evacuated as emergency services rushed to the scene. Ambulances transported the injured to nearby hospitals while teachers embraced and comforted one another outside the school.
One 18 year old student said he initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks.
“I didn’t think it was a gun at first. There were many shots, then it went quiet before starting again,” he told Reuters.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed condolences to the victims and their families, describing the incident as a tragedy for the country.
Following consultations with investigators, Anutin said the teenager had reportedly been suffering from stress related to his studies and had been living with his grandparents. Police discovered the bodies of the grandparents after responding to the school attack.
Emergency responder Kiatikhun Verapongpradith said his team arrived while the shooting was still underway and treated several victims with gunshot wounds. He said rescuers later attempted to revive the teenager after he shot himself but were unable to save him.
The shooting is the second attack at a Thai school this year. In February, a teacher was killed and a student injured in a separate school shooting in southern Thailand.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Asia, and the latest tragedy is expected to intensify calls for tighter firearms regulations. Prime Minister Anutin said the government would move forward with new gun control legislation.
Debsirin Nonthaburi School has about 3,100 students and 147 teachers, according to district authorities.
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