BANGKOK — A day after a 14-year-old school student carried out one of the deadliest mass shootings in Thailand’s recent history, grieving relatives arrived Saturday to claim the bodies of their loved ones, as the country grapples with shocking new details of the violence and rising concerns over gun access. The attack unfolded in the early hours of Friday in Nonthaburi province, a residential area just northwest of Bangkok. Officials confirmed the teenager first fatally shot his two grandparents at the family home, where he lived, before traveling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School and opening fire just after 10 a.m. The gunman eventually died by suicide at the school, bringing the total death toll to seven. As of Saturday, Thailand’s Ministry of Health reported 16 wounded victims remained hospitalized, with seven in critical condition. Most of those injured in the attack are between 12 and 14 years old, matching the age range of the shooter’s peers at the school. By early Saturday afternoon, all eight bodies — five school employees, the 14-year-old attacker, and his two grandparents — had been released from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine to families for funeral arrangements. Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, head of the forensic institute, told reporters that nearly all fatally wounded victims suffered a single lethal gunshot wound to a vital area, such as the head or chest. The wound suffered by the 14-year-old shooter aligns with the weapon recovered at the scene, he added, with more comprehensive forensic analysis, including toxicology screenings, expected to be released in the coming days. Officials confirmed the weapon used in the attack, described as a small, compact firearm, was legally registered to the shooter’s grandfather, raising new questions about firearm storage and regulation in the country. While preliminary reports indicate the teenager had shown visible signs of stress linked to academic and school pressures, some family members told local Thai media they had no prior knowledge of any mental health struggles or behavioral issues he may have been experiencing. In the wake of the attack, school administrators announced all classes would be suspended from August 10 through August 14, with all staff instructed to work remotely during that period. On Saturday, the campus stood eerily quiet, with only a small contingent of police stationed at the main entrance. A small number of mourners trickled in throughout the day to lay flowers at the gate, while parents arrived to collect personal belongings left behind by their children when the shooting unfolded. Charin Siriananchai, a local resident who brought his 9-year-old and 6-year-old sons to pay respects, said the entire neighborhood was stunned by the violence. “Everyone was saddened and shocked, because it was unexpected that this would happen in Thailand, and also it’s quite a great loss,” he said. One father of a student who was on campus during the attack, who asked to remain anonymous, said his son remains traumatized by the event and is unable to sleep alone. The deadly attack has once again put a spotlight on Thailand’s gun ownership regulations, which are among the most lax in Asia. According to 2017 data from Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org, the most recent comprehensive international study on the topic, Thailand has roughly 15.1 civilian-owned guns per 100 residents. That rate is far higher than most of its Southeast Asian neighbors — neighboring Malaysia counts less than one gun per 100 residents — and gives Thailand the second highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Asia, behind only Pakistan. 2023 statistics from World Population Review put Thailand’s firearm death rate at 3.49 per 100,000 people. While that rate is far lower than that of Latin America and the Caribbean, it is among the highest in Asia, with only the Philippines recording a higher rate in Southeast Asia. Though mass indiscriminate shootings remain rare in Thailand, the country has seen a steady increase in high-profile fatal shootings in recent years. In February 2024, a 17-year-old stole a service weapon from a police officer and carried out an attack at a public high school in southern Thailand, killing one person and wounding two others during a two-hour standoff that included hostage-taking. In 2023, a 14-year-old boy was charged in a fatal shooting at a major shopping mall in central Bangkok that left multiple people dead and injured.
Families retrieve bodies after a 14-year-old killed at least 7 in a shooting outside Bangkok
