Thai Teen Kills Seven in Home and School Rampage Before Taking Own Life

 Aug. 7 — A 14-year-old student shot dead seven people, including his grandparents and five teachers and school staff, before taking his own life at a school outside Bangkok on Friday, police said, in Thailand's deadliest mass shooting since 2022.

Police said the teenager first fatally shot his grandparents at their home before going to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he opened fire using a handgun that belonged to his grandfather.

Five teachers and staff members were killed at the school, while 23 other people were injured. Investigators said the suspect fired at least 26 rounds, with another 34 rounds of ammunition recovered at the scene.

Students fled the campus as emergency responders rushed the wounded to hospitals. Witnesses described scenes of panic, with teachers embracing one another while ambulances transported victims.

An 18-year-old student told Reuters he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for firecrackers.

"I didn't think it was a gun at first," the student said. "There were many shots. Then it went quiet. Then it started again."

Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said both teachers and students were among the casualties and that authorities were investigating the motive behind the attack.

The shooting is the second attack at a Thai school this year, following a February incident in southern Thailand in which a teacher was killed and a student was wounded.

Thailand has experienced several high-profile mass shootings in recent years and has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, according to the Small Arms Survey.