Thailand PM Vows Gun Reform After Teen Kills Seven in School Rampage

Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed to introduce a new firearms control law following a devastating school rampage that left multiple victims dead. The tragedy has renewed intense scrutiny on gun regulations across the nation, which is recognised as Southeast Asia's largest gun-owning country. According to reporting, the nation records roughly 15 firearms per 100 residents, a figure that contrasts sharply with neighbouring Malaysia, where the rate sits at less than one per 100.

The sequence of events began early in the morning. At around 5am local time on Friday, a 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents in their two-storey house located in a quiet neighbourhood in Bang Bua Thong on the outskirts of Bangkok. Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong, superintendent of Bang Bua Thong Police Station, stated that the firearm and the bullets belonged to the grandfather. Initial inspections by forensic teams indicated that the weapon had been searched for inside the grandfather's bedroom. The three of them had lived together in the house, situated about a 90-minute drive from central Bangkok.

Media additions

Following the killings at the family home, the teenager took school transport as normal and headed to Debsirin Nonthaburi School. The institution is located in the Bang Kruai district and belongs to one of Thailand's oldest and most prestigious school networks. Its original Bangkok campus was founded by Thai King Chulalongkorn in 1885 and has produced many prominent figures, including diplomats, athletes, and former prime ministers. The boy attended his first class beginning at 8:30am, followed by another class starting at 9:20am. About half an hour into his second class of the day, he drew out the gun and opened fire.

Accounts of the exact death toll and the sequence of casualties vary slightly across reporting teams. Abc reported that the teenager killed seven people in total across the high school and the home, including three teachers on the sixth floor and two other staff members attacked and killed on a staircase. Malay Mail reported eight deaths in total, noting that three teachers and three students were killed at the school alongside the grandparents. BBC live reporting stated that at least seven people died, with police noting that five teachers were killed before the gunman turned the weapon on himself. Police said the boy used at least 26 bullets during the attack.

Reports on the gunman's fate also differ across outlets. ABC reported that police cleared the building floor-by-floor and found the teenager alive on the fourth floor after he had shot himself, after which officers performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital. Malay Mail noted that authorities had yet to determine whether he took his own life or was killed during the police response. Emergency workers and officials described a chaotic scene upon arrival. Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith stated that his team could not rush inside initially while evaluating the sort of weapons the gunman had, until police took a team with shields up to the area. Medical teams treated students for wounds to the back, chest, and arms. Estimates of the injured varied, with reports noting up to 23 people wounded.

Students described scenes of panic and confusion as the attack unfolded. Some initially thought the loud bangs were firecrackers before fleeing the campus in their socks or bare feet, leaving their shoes behind. A seventh-grade student told the Bbc she saw the gunman moving between classrooms before shooting a teacher outside her classroom. Another student told Reuters he initially thought the loud bangs were firecrackers. A 31-year-old teacher, who asked not to be named, described hearing gunshots and screaming pupils, noting that one of the teachers killed was a friend. Officers during the lockdown posted warnings on Facebook, advising anyone trapped inside a building to hide, close everything tightly, and wait for rescue personnel.

Timeline of the Rampage

• 5am: The 14-year-old boy kills his grandparents at their two-storey house in Bang Bua Thong.
• Morning: The teenager takes school transport as normal to Debsirin Nonthaburi School.
• 8:30am: The student attends his first class of the day.
• 9:20am: The boy's second class begins.
• About half an hour into the second class: The shooting starts, triggering a campus lockdown, police response, and student evacuations.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters after visiting the school that the attacker was stressed from his studies, while BBC coverage noted the Prime Minister described the attack as "well prepared". Police additionally described the student as quiet, not very sociable, and fairly good academically. Friday's rampage marked Thailand's worst mass shooting since 2022, reviving memories of past tragedies including a 2022 nursery massacre and a school siege earlier in the year that left a principal dead.

The tragedy has drawn sharp political reactions regarding public safety and firearm access. Opposition Leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut called for a serious and systematic review of gun control measures.

"Although the motive behind the attack remains unclear at this time, an act of violence in an educational institution, which should be one of the safest places in our society, serves as a stark reminder for Thai society to seriously and systematically review gun control measures,"

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, Opposition Leader, via Malay Mail

Prime Minister Anutin, who previously tightened gun laws as interior minister following a past mass shooting, announced plans to propose a new law restricting the carrying of firearms by the public.

"As much as possible, we have to create an atmosphere of safety,"

Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister, via ABC