Thai Student Recounts Terror as School Shooting Leaves Multiple Dead
A surviving pupil describes the harrowing moments a 14-year-old gunman opened fire at a school near Bangkok, killing five teachers.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- A 14-year-old boy opened fire at a school just outside Bangkok, killing five teachers and injuring 23 others.
- The suspect also allegedly shot and killed his own grandparents prior to the school attack.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul noted that study pressures and strict family expectations may have contributed.
- The tragedy has reignited intense debate over strict gun control in Thailand, where firearm ownership rates are high.
On a Friday morning as final classes drew to a close, terrified students rushed out of a prominent school just outside Bangkok. According to local police, a 14-year-old boy had unleashed a deadly shooting spree inside the premises.
Still dressed in her school uniform and accompanied by her mother, a surviving student detailed how the armed teenager stalked from room to room. Authorities reported that the shooter killed five teachers and injured 23 people, including fellow students, before turning the weapon on himself. Earlier that day, he had also shot his grandparents.
The young girl, whose identity is withheld by the BBC, explained that she had to climb over the school fence alongside other friends to escape. Meanwhile, an 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially mistook the gunshots for firecrackers. Paramedics immediately rushed to the gates to load wounded victims into ambulances as distressed crowds gathered.
This school shooting marks one of the deadliest mass casualty incidents in recent Thai history, following another school siege earlier this year in southern Thailand. The tragedy highlights pressing concerns regarding student mental health support and the widespread availability of firearms in the country, prompting renewed scrutiny from public safety advocates.
Kiatikhun Verapongpradith, a 47-year-old rescue worker, rushed to the scene after learning that children as young as 12 had been hurt. He told Reuters that he encountered students shot in various parts of their bodies and immediately worked to transport them to the hospital. A grieving 31-year-old teacher also shared that a close friend of his was among the victims, noting they had attended the school together as students before returning as educators.
Police investigations remain in the early stages without a confirmed official motive yet. However, school faculty described the suspect as a well-behaved student with good grades, while education officials noted he was an avid gamer. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul suggested that academic pressure may have played a factor, noting that his grandmother was a strict teacher and close friends observed he was deeply stressed.
This incident is Thailand's deadliest mass shooting in years, following a devastating attack in Nong Bua Lamphu province four years ago. The recurring violence has revived urgent questions regarding gun control. An estimated seven million firearms are owned in the country, over one million of which are unlicensed, fueled by porous borders and regulatory loopholes.
Source: BBC World
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