Agadir – A 14-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his grandparents before opening fire at a school northwest of Bangkok on Friday, killing several teachers and staff members and wounding more than 20 people.
The shooting took place at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi Province. Police said the teenager used a firearm belonging to his grandfather, firing at least 26 rounds before killing himself. Authorities later found 34 additional rounds.
The victims at the school were teachers and staff, according to police. Students were evacuated from the school as emergency teams transported the wounded to hospitals. Images from the scene showed students fleeing the school, some without shoes, while teachers hugged one another and cried.
An 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for firecrackers or someone striking an object.
“I didn’t think it was a gun at first,” he said. “There were many shots: bang, bang, bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.”
Police initially reported that eight people had been killed, including the suspected shooter. The death toll later rose to nine after a 12-year-old girl who had been critically wounded in the attack died in hospital on Saturday.
At least 23 people were wounded in the shooting, with 14 still hospitalized as of Saturday evening, including seven in critical condition, according to police.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the teenager’s background and possible motive. Police said the boy had lived with his grandparents for 12 years after his parents separated.
Police said the teenager had shown an interest in firearms for around one to two years. An air gun had reportedly been confiscated from him by a teacher last year.
Investigators also found a knife in the boy’s school bag, as well as a firearm, spent cartridge cases and a personal computer among the evidence collected from the crime scenes. Police said the teenager had watched violent content online and used social media to learn how to use firearms.
