Teen gunman kills 5 in Thailand school shooting rampage

A 14-year-old student in Thailand fatally shot his grandparents at home, then attacked his school on the outskirts of Bangkok on Friday, killing five teachers and staff members and wounding 23 others before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. The suspect, who later died at a hospital, used a handgun believed to have belonged to his grandfather, according to police.

How the attack unfolded

Police said the boy first shot his two grandparents at their residence in Bang Kruai District, on the northwestern outskirts of the Thai capital. He then took the weapon and went to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he opened fire on educators and staff. Officers recovered 26 spent shell casings at the scene and found an additional 34 rounds of ammunition.

Students described chaos as gunfire echoed through the corridors. One 18-year-old pupil told reporters he initially mistook the bangs for firecrackers. "There were many shots: bang, bang, bang! Then it went quiet. Then it started again," he said, recalling the panic as students scrambled for cover beneath desks and climbed through windows onto ledges.

Casualties and emergency response

All five people killed inside the school were staff members, the education ministry confirmed. Twenty-three others, including students, sustained injuries; nine were listed in critical condition, said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith, 47, said his team treated students with wounds to the back, chest and arms. They discovered one male teacher dead on an upper floor and another female teacher with wounds to her chest and arm in a separate room.

Kiatikhun was also involved in the response to the shooter. After a final gunshot, he and his crew rushed upstairs and found the teenager with a self-inflicted wound to the right side of his head. He was still alive and had a pulse, so they began CPR before transporting him to a hospital, where he later died.

Thailand's rare but tragic mass shootings

The attack evokes painful memories of other mass killings in a country where guns are widely owned but massacres are uncommon. In 2022, a former police officer stormed a daycare center in northeastern Thailand, killing 36 people, including 24 children. Two years earlier, a soldier stole military weapons and went on a rampage in a military camp and shopping mall, leaving nearly 30 dead. In February of this year, a gunman opened fire at a school in the southern district of Hat Yai, killing a teacher and injuring a student.

Investigation and next steps

Authorities have not yet identified a motive for Friday's attack. Police said they are questioning witnesses and examining the teenager's background. Prime Minister Anutin extended condolences to the victims' families and said he would discuss possible gun-control measures with the national police chief. "This is terrible for something like this to happen," he told reporters. "I'm sad for those who died and sad for something like this to happen in our country."

The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter firearm regulations in Thailand, though previous attempts to tighten laws have faced resistance. For now, the school remains closed as counselors provide support to traumatized students and staff, and the community begins to mourn the loss of educators killed in a place meant for learning.