A 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents and five school staff members in a shooting Friday in Thailand's Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, before taking his own life. Authorities initially reported eight deaths but revised the toll to seven: the two grandparents and five people at the school.
The teenager shot his grandparents at their shared residence in the morning, then proceeded to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he opened fire on teachers and staff. More than 30 people were wounded, with nine in serious condition, according to authorities.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the attack was "planned with care" and described the shooter as a student under pressure at school. One of the grandparents killed had been a teacher. The prime minister visited the school following the incident.
In response, Charnvirakul ordered the interior ministry and police to suspend the issuance of firearms licences for possession, purchase, and carrying of guns. He called for "tighter controls and decisive penalties" regarding firearms regulation.
The weapon used in the shooting belonged to the teenager's grandfather. According to reports, the boy had displayed a firearm on his Instagram account during Songkran, Thailand's New Year celebration in April.
Preliminary accounts pointed to academic stress as a possible factor in the attack. The shooter was described as being under pressure in school.
On Wednesday, the bodies of the teenage attacker and his grandparents were cremated at Tem Rak Samakkhi Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, where people paid their respects at the caskets.
The shooting was the most severe reported in Thailand in nearly four years. A student at the school, identified as P.M., described hearing loud gunshots that appeared to come from an upper floor, along with the sound of shell casings hitting the ground and metal noise. "I was afraid of dying and not fulfilling my dreams," the student said outside the school.