School shooting in Thailand: 8 dead, over 30 wounded

When a 14-year-old walks into a school with a pistol, and within hours the death toll reaches eight, society is confronted with a void of questions that have no easy answers. Thailand, a country with one of Asia's highest rates of gun related deaths, has been shaken once again by a tragedy that has exposed not only gaps in gun control but also the depth of a mental health crisis among young people. Grandparents demanding top grades, computer searches for mass shooting scenarios at American schools, and photos of the gun posted on social media – all of this paints a chilling picture where academic pressure and the lack of psychological support become a deadly mix. The prime minister calls for tougher laws, but will that stop the next child who also feels cornered?

Eight people died, including the shooter and his grandparents, and more than 30 were wounded, nine critically, after an armed person opened fire at a school and a house in Nonthaburi province earlier that day. Local police were notified around 10:00 local time after the shooter opened fire at Deb Sirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district. A witness at the scene said the shooter was wearing a purple tracksuit and fired dozens of rounds inside the school. "I called my friends into the room, and we barricaded the door because we couldn't lock it.

Then we waited for the authorities to tell us what to do," said a student named Kittiphat Chulert. The suspected attacker, a 14 year old student, reportedly lived with his grandparents. Thai police found the bodies of his grandparents in their home, and investigators believe they were shot before the school attack. Authorities said a pistol was found at the scene, and preliminary information indicated it belonged to the suspect's grandfather. A large amount of ammunition was also found in the suspect's bag.

According to Thai media reports, during the investigation into the motive, police discovered that the suspect had searched for and studied a US school shooting case on his computer. Anutin told media at the scene that the attack may have been driven by excessive academic pressure, as the suspect's grandparents were very strict about his studies. A friend of the shooter also confirmed that he had been under intense pressure recently and had carefully planned the attack, even posting photos of the weapon on social media.

Anutin also said that such incidents must not happen again, stating that the government would promote stricter gun control measures and that relevant agencies must strengthen oversight of gun related situations. He said no one is allowed to carry weapons in public places except in the course of duty. "The law is crystal clear. Citizens do not need to have guns and carry them in public places. From now on, checks will be conducted, and if illegal carrying of weapons by civilians is found, they will be arrested," Anutin said.

After the evacuation of students, the school now stands empty. The Thai government has sent mental health assessment and treatment teams to support the victims. "I have just returned from the hospital and visited the parents of the students who are in the operating room. We hope that two of them will recover within a few days. But we are very concerned about the condition of one girl who was shot in the head. Her condition is very critical. So all the doctors are insisting and doing everything they can to take care of her and her family, whatever it takes," said Phattana Promphat, Thailand's Minister of Health.

Thailand ranks among the world's highest for gun ownership per capita, and although school mass shootings are rarer than in the US, they have become an alarming trend in recent years. In 2022, a similar tragedy at a childcare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province claimed 36 lives. Gun laws in the kingdom remain insufficiently strict: licences are relatively easy to obtain, and mental health checks for owners are virtually non existent. The current case, where the weapon belonged to the grandfather and the teenager had free access to it, once again raises the issue of storing firearms in homes with children and adolescents. Experts also point to systemic problems in school psychological support, where even obvious signs of depression and aggression go unnoticed.

As CCTV+ reports, Thai society is shocked, and the prime minister has promised not only to tighten controls but also to rethink approaches to youth mental health so that such a tragedy never repeats, but that will require not just laws but a deep cultural transformation.