Thailand school shooting leaves at least six dead at Nonthaburi high school

A student opened fire at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, leaving multiple people dead and wounding others, according to authorities. The violent episode unfolded at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, situated northwest of the national capital. Traffic near the educational facility was nearly at a standstill as parents arrived to pick up their children following the incident, and local media reported that the suspect was wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag while several bullet casings lay on the ground.

Witnesses described harrowing scenes inside the educational facility as the attack began. Students sheltered inside classrooms while hearing gunshots echo from another building. Police officers subsequently knocked on doors to guide survivors safely out of the structure. In the aftermath, distressed citizens gathered outside the perimeter to comfort one another while emergency responders and police officers inspected the campus interior.

Media additions

Official statements yielded conflicting casualty counts that could not immediately be reconciled across government ministries. Royal Thai Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan told news broadcaster Channel 3 that three teachers and three students were killed, with the shooter hospitalized in serious condition alongside fifteen injured victims, two of whom were in critical condition. However, Health Minister Pattana Promphat stated that twenty-two individuals were injured, including nine in critical condition, noting that some sustained injuries from falls amid the chaos rather than direct gunshot wounds.

Further compounding the tragedy, national police and Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee confirmed that the teenage suspect first killed his two grandparents at home using a family member's handgun before traveling to the school. Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee told reporters at the scene that five teachers died, though other officials stated the school death toll comprised three teachers and three students. Local media reports presented differing accounts regarding the suspect's final moments, with some suggesting police officers shot and killed him while others indicated he died by suicide, but authorities ultimately confirmed that the gunman died at a hospital.

"It's such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?"

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister, via Euronews

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul offered official condolences at Bangkok's Government House and directed relevant officials to take care of the victims. Investigators are actively probing the motive behind the shooting and investigating how the juvenile obtained the firearm, which officials believe was taken from a member of the student's family.

Broader Context of Gun Violence in Thailand

The tragedy highlights ongoing concerns regarding firearm accessibility in the region. Thailand maintains one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with an estimated ten million firearms in circulation—averaging roughly one weapon for every seven inhabitants. Past legislative promises to tighten gun regulations have failed to prevent recurring mass casualty events.

Friday's violence follows several other high-profile shooting incidents across the country:

• February 2026: A 17-year-old stabbed a police officer with a knife, stole his 9mm pistol, and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand during a two-hour hostage situation that left the school principal dead and two students injured. A local police chief noted at the time that the suspect had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment in December and subsequently discharged.
• 2023: A 14-year-old boy was accused of carrying out a shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall.
• 2022: A former police officer armed with a firearm and a knife attacked a northern nursery, resulting in dozens of deaths in one of the nation's worst massacres.