GUWAHATI: At least seven people, including the suspected gunman, were killed in a shooting at a school near Bangkok on Friday, August 7, in Thailand's deadliest mass shooting since 2022.
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According to Thai police, the teenage suspect first shot dead his grandparents before heading to the prestigious Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi province, where he opened fire.
Police said six victims were killed in the attack, while the gunman later died by suicide, taking the death toll to seven. At least 15 others were injured, with two reported to be in critical condition.
Investigators said the teenager fired at least 26 rounds during the attack and was found carrying 34 additional rounds of ammunition. The firearm used in the shooting belonged to his grandfather, police added.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed condolences to the victims' families and said he had directed relevant authorities to ensure medical treatment and support for those affected.
The incident marks Thailand's second school shooting this year. In February, an 18-year-old gunman shot a school principal and a female student during a school siege in southern Thailand.
The latest tragedy has also revived concerns over gun violence in the country. In October 2022, a former police officer killed 37 people, most of them preschool children, in Nong Bua Lamphu province in one of Thailand's worst mass shootings.
Friday's attack has once again prompted calls for Thai authorities to strengthen the country's gun control laws, as Thailand continues to have one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia.