NONTHABURI, Thailand — A 14-year-old student killed seven people in a shooting rampage that began at his grandparents' home and continued at a school outside Bangkok on Friday before fatally shooting himself, in Thailand's deadliest school attack in years, authorities said.
Police said the teenager used a handgun belonging to his grandfather to kill his grandparents at their home before travelling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, where he opened fire on teachers and staff. Five members of the school's staff were killed in the attack, while 23 other people were injured, nine of them critically, according to Thai authorities.
Investigators said the suspect fired at least 26 rounds and was carrying additional ammunition when the attack ended. Authorities said the teenager died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the shooting.
Police have not released the suspect's identity because he was a minor. Officials said the motive remains under investigation, although preliminary findings indicate the student had been experiencing severe academic stress and had a history of mental health problems. Authorities cautioned that the investigation was continuing and that conclusions about motive had not been finalized.
Emergency services secured the school and evacuated students and staff as heavily armed police searched the campus. Hospitals in the Bangkok metropolitan area received the injured, while authorities appealed for blood donations as medical teams treated victims.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed condolences to the victims' families and said the government would review measures aimed at preventing similar attacks. He also pledged to pursue stricter gun-control legislation following the shooting.
The attack renewed scrutiny of firearm access in Thailand, which has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Asia despite previous government efforts to tighten gun regulations. The handgun used in Friday's attack belonged to the suspect's grandfather, according to police.
Thailand has experienced several high-profile mass shootings in recent years, including the 2022 daycare massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu that killed dozens of people, most of them children, and a fatal shooting at Bangkok's Siam Paragon shopping mall in 2023 involving another teenage suspect. Earlier this year, a separate school shooting in southern Thailand left one person dead.
Police said forensic teams remained at both crime scenes on Friday evening as investigators continued gathering evidence. Authorities said further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
