Gunman takes the lives of eight people in a tragic mass shooting at Debsirin Nonthanburi
school on August 7th. The suspect, a 14-year-old student, kills grandparents and five teachers
before turning the gun on himself. The ninth victim was a 12 year old girl who passed away
on August 8th while receiving treatment.
The timeline
Debsirin is a top government school in Thailand with several branches, known for its
academic prestige. It was first founded in 1885 and has since taught a number of prominent
Thai alumni, including four Prime Ministers. The shooter’s first class began at 8:30 a.m, and
the first shots heard at the school came shortly before 10 a.m.
Local police received their first call on the shooting at 9:57 a.m according to reports by
Reuters. The shooter first pulled the gun out in his second class of the day. A young seventh
grade girl who spoke to the BBC recalls that he proceeded to “stalk from room to room.” Her
teacher was standing right in front of her when she was shot.
The gun and bullets used has been reported by Thai police to have been his grandfather’s.
When police went to search the boy’s house, they found both grandparents had been shot
dead earlier that morning. Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong reported to Reuters that the
murders happened around 5 a.m. Evidence from the scene points to the shooter having looked
for the firearm inside the bedroom. His grandparents were his primary caregivers after his
parents’ separation. Thadsakorn also stated that the shooter had taken the school van after
killing his grandparents. Footage shows the ammunition and firearm were being transported
in his bag.
Attacks started on the sixth floor of the building, inside the shooter’s class. He killed his
teacher in room 3/8, before moving to the next room where he shot 2 teachers and one
student. Three teachers were killed on this floor alone. Among the teachers who lost their
lives were the school’s deputy director and secretary, both of whom were shot and killed on
the stairs. They were initially on their way up to check on the gunshots heard. Upon
examining the forensic evidence, national police chief Gen Kittiratt Phanphet described the
shooter’s aim as ‘accurate’, despite there being no evidence of the boy visiting shooting
ranges previously. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also described the attack as ‘well
prepared’ and ‘with clear steps and clear goals’. The shooter was said to have been targeting
and hitting vital points on the victims.
Further investigation into the teen’s motives showed that he had been looking into guns
online for up to two years prior to the shooting. Further, the previous year a teacher had
confiscated a BB gun that he had bought into school. It is believed this gun was purchased
online. Investigators are still looking into the incident, but have claimed the motive may be a
combination of factors. The factors outlined included personal problems involving family and
friends, as well as violent online content consumed. Close friends interviewed have stated
that the shooter had not encountered problems with bullying. In light of this investigation,
police have emphasised to parents the importance of monitoring online content consumed
by their children. Other preventative measures encouraged by Thai police are keeping
firearms locked away from children and young people.
The shooter was found by police on the fourth floor around 10:40 a.m. He had already shot
himself, but maintained a pulse. He was transported to the hospital, but died while in transit.
National grief, six people still in critical condition
27 people reported injuries, with 9 being in critical condition the day of the attack. At time of
writing, 15 remain under medical care, with 6 still in critical condition. Sadly, one 12 year old
student named Naphat Chaima was injured in the attack and passed away Saturday.
Mourners visited her on Sunday morning, where she was laid for a ceremonial bath in the
pavilion of Wat Lat Pla Duk. Naphat’s music teacher, who spoke to Bangkok Post, described
her as “a good kid (…) loved to do every activity.” Her father expressed forgiveness for the
14-year-old who took his daughter’s life, his focus instead on wanting his child to rest
peacefully.
This tragic school shooting is the second that Thailand has suffered this year, the first having
taken place in February. The shooting took place in Hat Yai, southern Thailand, where a
17-year-old openly fired at a public high school with a stolen police gun. The attack killed the
school’s director and injured two others. The Debsirin shooting has also been the worst mass
shooting in Thailand since 2022, where an ex-police officer killed 34 people at a daycare
centre. 23 of the victims were children.
Future of gun laws in Thailand
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed his condolences and deep grief for the
victims, as well as his stance on stricter enforcement of gun laws in Thailand. “I’m sad for
what happened in our country. I’m sad for what happened to us”, he tells reporters. In his
previous role as interior minister, Anuitn Charnvirakul had tightened gun regulations following
a mall shooting in 2023. This included temporarily halting new gun licensing and banning
people under 20 from using shooting ranges. There was also a proposal for mental health
assessments and regular screenings for gun owners. The majority of these proposals did not
actualise, and Thailand continues to be one of the counties in South East Asia with the
highest rates of civilian gun-ownership. 2017 data from the Small Arms Survey estimates
there are about 15.1 firearms per 100 people, with a large portion of these being unregistered.
In his Friday statement, the Prime Minister reiterated his belief that the government should
impose stricter laws on the public carrying of firearms, forbidding it altogether for citizens
and off-duty officers. He insists that the value of human life far outweighs any commercial
losses faced by firearm companies in the case of tighter control, a criticism that he had
previously faced when establishing his stance on Thailand’s gun laws.
Contradictory reports came out of the scene on Friday, leading to a widespread amount of
misinformation in the media. Students and alumni of Debsirin have taken to online platforms
with the hashtag #saveเทพนนท์, asking people to let them grieve during this time and stop
spreading harmful misinformation about the attack online.