Thailand School Shooting Death Toll Rises to 9 as Police Reveal Teen Studied Guns Online

This article was originally published on Crafting Your Home. A human contributor also wrote and edited the post.

A school morning outside Bangkok turned into one of Thailand’s deadliest mass shootings in years, leaving nine people dead and 23 wounded after a 14-year-old student opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School.

The attack, which unfolded Friday, Aug. 7, in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, has taken on an even more disturbing dimension as investigators piece together what happened before the first shots were fired. Police now say the teenage suspect had shown a growing interest in firearms, watched violent material online and used social media to learn about guns.

A 12-year-old girl who was critically wounded in the attack died Saturday, raising the overall death toll to nine. The dead include the suspected shooter, his two grandparents, three teachers, two school officials and the young student.

Investigators say the tragedy began hours before the shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School.

Police believe the 14-year-old first shot and killed his grandparents at their home. The boy had lived with them for years after his parents separated. He then traveled roughly 11 miles to school, where the violence began shortly before 10 a.m.

According to investigators, the teenager moved through multiple floors and buildings while firing at teachers, staff members and students. Police reconstructed a sequence that began on an upper floor before the attacker continued through other parts of the campus.

Police said he fired at least 26 rounds. Another 34 rounds of ammunition were found in his possession.

Officers arrived within minutes. Police attempted to communicate with the teenager and ordered him to stop shooting before authorities said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

For thousands of students on campus, the danger was unfolding just beyond their classroom doors.

Debsirin Nonthaburi School is a large state secondary school with more than 3,000 students. As word spread that someone was firing inside the campus, teachers moved students into classrooms, shut off lights and blocked doors.

One 14-year-old student told Reuters that classmates pushed desks against a classroom door and stayed near the windows while they waited for instructions. Students used messaging groups to warn one another about the attack as they tried to remain hidden.

Outside the school, parents rushed toward the area as police and emergency crews converged on the campus. Images from the evacuation showed frightened students running from buildings, with some fleeing in socks after leaving their shoes behind.

Twenty-three people were reported wounded. Fourteen remained hospitalized Saturday evening, including seven in critical condition, and many of those being treated were young teenagers.

The investigation has now moved beyond the physical evidence recovered at the school and the grandparents’ home.

Police said Sunday that the teenager had developed an interest in firearms over the previous one to two years. Investigators said he watched violent content online and used social media to learn about firearms.

A teacher had also confiscated a BB gun from the student after he brought it to school last year, according to police. Investigators recovered a knife from his bag, along with the firearm, spent cartridge cases and a personal computer.

Authorities have not established a single cause for the shooting. Police have interviewed at least 17 witnesses and are examining a combination of factors, including family issues, school pressures, friendships and exposure to violent online content.

The suspect’s mother told Reuters she had not noticed signs that he was preparing for violence and described him as a bright and cheerful child who appeared to behave normally.

One of the central questions now facing investigators is how a 14-year-old gained access to the weapon used in the attack.

Officials said the handgun was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the weapon had been kept at the family home, but the teenager somehow gained access to it.

The case has quickly renewed debate over firearm access in Thailand. The country has the highest civilian gun ownership rate in Southeast Asia and one of the highest rates in Asia.

Thailand has faced several major mass shootings in recent years. In 2022, a former police officer attacked a childcare center in northeastern Thailand,