Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting in 4 years leaves 9 dead as teen turns gun on himself
A 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents, then opened fire at his Bangkok school with his grandfather’s handgun, sparking a gun-law overhaul pledge.
A 14-year-old boy in Thailand shot and killed nine people—including his grandparents and a 12-year-old classmate—before taking his own life in the country’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly four years.
The attack began when the teenager used his grandfather’s handgun to kill his grandparents at their home in Bangkok. He then traveled to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he was a student, and opened fire. A 12-year-old girl, critically wounded in the rampage, died in hospital on Saturday, raising the death toll to nine. Another 23 people were injured, with seven still in critical condition as of Saturday evening.
Police said the boy fired at least 26 bullets during the attack and was found with 34 additional rounds of ammunition. A knife was also discovered in his bag. Investigators revealed the teen had an air gun confiscated by a teacher last year and had reportedly watched violent online content and used social media to learn how to use firearms. Witnesses told police he had shown an interest in guns for one to two years.
The gun used in the attack belonged to the boy’s grandfather, with whom he had lived for 12 years after his parents separated. Authorities are questioning the boy’s parents as part of the investigation.
Gun laws under scrutiny Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, ranking 13th globally for small-gun possession in a 2017 Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. The country’s current laws allow individuals as young as 20 to own firearms and do not require mental health screenings.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul responded to the shooting by vowing to tighten gun control, stating that only government officials on duty would be permitted to carry firearms. The attack marks Thailand’s worst mass shooting since 2022.
Second shooting in days Just days after the school rampage, a former Thai lawmaker was arrested on Monday for allegedly shooting and killing a local government official and his driver in Nonthaburi Province. Police said the suspect forced his way into a government office and opened fire, killing the provincial administration president, Thongchai Yenprasert, at the scene.
