Thailand has been plunged into mourning after a 14-year-old student carried out the country’s deadliest school shooting in years, killing seven people, including five school staff members, before taking his own life in a shocking rampage that has reignited debate over gun control and mental health.
The attack unfolded on Friday morning in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok, where the teenager first allegedly shot and killed his grandparents at their home before heading to Debsirin Nonthaburi School armed with a handgun legally registered to his grandfather. Once on campus, he opened fire, sending students and teachers scrambling for cover as classrooms descended into chaos.
Authorities said five members of the school’s staff were killed, while more than 20 others were injured, several of them critically.
Police later recovered the teenager after he turned the weapon on himself. He died while being taken to hospital. Investigators also found dozens of unused rounds of ammunition, suggesting the death toll could have been far higher.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as gunfire echoed through school buildings, forcing students to barricade themselves inside classrooms or flee through windows and emergency exits. Emergency responders rushed to evacuate the wounded while police secured the sprawling campus.
Preliminary investigations indicate the teenager had been experiencing significant academic stress and had a history of mental health challenges, although authorities stressed that the motive remains under investigation.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged to strengthen Thailand’s firearm regulations, saying the tragedy underscored the urgent need to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
The government is also providing psychological support to survivors, families and school staff affected by the attack.
The shooting has once again drawn attention to Thailand’s struggle with gun violence. Despite repeated efforts to tighten firearm laws following previous mass shootings, the country continues to record one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Asia. Friday’s tragedy is also the second school shooting reported in Thailand this year, intensifying calls for stronger safeguards around schools and greater attention to youth mental health.
