Foreign News
Thai Teen Kills Six In School Shooting Before Taking Own Life
A 14-year-old student shot dead at least six people before taking his own life at a school near Bangkok on Friday, in Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting since 2022.
The attack took place at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, located on the northwestern outskirts of the Thai capital. Police said the teenager first fatally shot his grandparents before heading to the school, where he opened fire on students and teachers.
Authorities said the gunman fired at least 26 rounds and was carrying another 34 rounds of ammunition. The firearm used in the attack belonged to his grandfather.
Police confirmed that seven people, including the shooter, died in the incident, while 15 others were injured.
Students fled the campus as emergency services rushed to the scene. Ambulances transported the injured while teachers were seen consoling one another outside the school.
One 18-year-old student told Reuters he initially mistook the gunfire for firecrackers.
“I didn’t think it was a gun at first,” he said. “There were many shots… then it went quiet, before starting again.”
Emergency responder Kiatikhun Verapongpradith said rescue teams arrived while the shooting was still underway.
He said they found a male teacher dead on an upper floor and a female teacher suffering gunshot wounds before locating the shooter with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
“He still had a pulse, so we immediately began CPR before taking him to hospital,” the responder said.
Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong confirmed that both teachers and students were among those killed and injured.
The school has around 3,100 students and 147 teachers, according to local authorities.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed his condolences, calling the attack a tragedy for the country.
“This is terrible for something like this to happen. I’m sad for those who died and sad for something like this to happen in our country,” he said.
The incident marks Thailand’s second school shooting this year, following a February attack in the country’s south in which a teacher was killed and a student injured.
Thailand has experienced several deadly mass shootings in recent years. In 2022, a former police officer killed 36 people, including 22 children, during an attack at a daycare centre, making it the country’s deadliest mass killing in recent history.
Other major incidents include a 2025 Bangkok market shooting that left five people dead, a 2023 shopping mall shooting carried out by another 14-year-old, and a 2020 military rampage that killed 29 people.
Following the 2023 attack, Thai authorities introduced stricter gun control measures, including tighter licensing rules, import restrictions and mandatory mental health assessments for gun owners.
Despite these efforts, Thailand continues to have one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia.
(with inputs from Reuters)