A 14-year-old kid opened fire at his house and school on the suburbs of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, leaving at least seven dead and 23 wounded.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul informed reporters that the shooter was a pupil at the Debsirin School in Nonthaburi.
They killed his grandparents and five instructors before ending his own life. According to Anutin, the assailant had “more than 30 bullets left” when he turned the pistol on himself.
According to police, nine of the injured individuals are still in severe condition.
The second school shooting in Thailand this year has increased pressure on the government to take stronger gun control measures.
The active gunfire started just after 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT), and police were called to the location.
Reporters were informed by National Police Chief Police General Kittiratt Phanphet that forensic investigators had discovered that the gunman’s rounds were quite precise, with many of them striking critical areas of the body.
According to the prime minister, the attack had “clear steps and clear goals” and was “well prepared”.
What Happened at Debsirin School?
The prime minister stated that the child might have been worried about his schoolwork, but neither the attacker nor the authorities have disclosed a reason.
Officers have been spotted removing boxes and computer equipment from the house where the gunman lived with his grandparents, whom he killed prior to the school attack. Investigations are still ongoing.
Due to his parents’ divorce, the assailant had resided with his grandparents.
Later on Friday, the mother and father were summoned to a nearby police station to be questioned.
What Officials Said About the Attack
One of Thailand’s best secondary institutions, the Debsirin School was established in Bangkok in 1885 and has branches all around the nation.
It has produced a number of well-known Thai individuals, including prime ministers, athletes, and diplomats.
The news was informed by a female seventh grader who was still wearing her school uniform that she was in front of her instructor when the woman was shot.
She claimed, “She was speaking to me when [the gunman] showed up and shot her. “All I could see was a [cloud] of dust.”
She described how the gunman walked from room to room while still wearing her uniform and accompanied by her mother.
To get away from the school with my pals, I had to scale the fence.”
Thailand Faces Renewed Gun Control Debate
Another teenager said to the Reuters news agency that he mistook the sound of gunfire for firecrackers.Bang bang boom, there were lots of gunfire. After then, there was silence. Then it began once more.
Those waiting outside the Debsirin School seemed clearly upset, while students and school personnel were spotted running from the area.
Authorities advised people to avoid the area and to hide and wait for rescuers if they were trapped inside the building.
Later, the school posted a need for blood donations on social media.
In order to allow kids to come home early, several nearby schools halted lessons.
PM Anutin sent his sympathies to the school shooting victims.
Investigation Continues
Not only do I feel bad for the victims, but I also regret that this occurred.
“How can this occur in our nation?” he said.
The unauthorized possession of firearms is punishable by up to ten years in prison under Thailand’s severe weapons regulations.
Although authorities have not suggested that the gun used in this crime, which belonged to the shooter’s grandpa, was obtained illegally.
Why the Thailand School Shooting Is Important
The nation has one of South East Asia’s highest rates of civilian gun ownership. Roughly 40% of these firearms are thot to be unlawful.
Politicians quickly called for a revision of the present gun rules in response to Friday’s massacre.
In response, Prime Minister Anutin promised to enact a new law governing guns.
The public’s ability to carry such weapons will be restricted under the proposed new legislation.
Only government employes who are on duty will be permitted to carry firearms under the new rule, according to Anutin.
He gave no details about the planned law, such as whether it would make gun ownership more stringent.
