Thai PM Expresses Shock After School Shooting Near Bangkok Kills Six
A student shot multiple people at a Thai high school near Bangkok, killing at least six. The PM called the incident 'so bad' and 'shouldn't have happened.'
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed deep sorrow and shock on Friday after a student opened fire at a high school in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok, killing at least six people and wounding several others.
"This shouldn't have happened," Anutin told reporters in Bangkok. "I'm obviously very saddened about what happened. Not just about people who died. I'm saddened that, how come this incident could happen in our country."
The shooting occurred at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School. Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan confirmed the incident, though authorities gave conflicting accounts of the casualties that could not be immediately reconciled.
Police told Channel 3 that three teachers and three students were killed, with the shooter hospitalized in serious condition. Health Minister Pattana Promphat reported 22 people injured, nine critically, noting some injuries were from falls and it was unclear how many were shot.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee told reporters at the scene that five teachers died and that the shooter had killed his two grandparents at home before arriving at the school. He also said the shooter died at a hospital.
A witness said students hid in a classroom while hearing gunshots from another building before police cleared a path for them to evacuate. The motive remains under investigation, and the gun is believed to have been taken from the student's family.
The prime minister offered condolences and ordered officials to care for the victims. The incident echoes past violence, including a February shooting at a southern Thai high school and a 2023 shooting at a Bangkok mall.