Thailand School Shooting Near Bangkok Kills at Least 7

At least seven people were killed and 15 others injured Friday when a student opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, on the northwestern outskirts of Bangkok, according to Reuters, citing provincial police. The gunman died by suicide following the attack.

Nonthaburi Provincial Police Commander Lt. Col. Dechrapee Kongdee confirmed a teacher was among those killed, with police identifying the perpetrator as a student at the school. Early casualty figures varied across initial reports as the response operation was still underway, with some outlets citing fewer confirmed deaths in the shooting’s immediate aftermath before fuller figures emerged.

Video footage verified by CNN showed terrified students huddled beneath desks, sobbing as gunshots rang out nearby, while other footage showed a staff member helping students evacuate the building. One 18-year-old student told Reuters he initially thought the sounds were firecrackers or someone banging an object, describing hearing many shots in succession before a pause and then renewed gunfire.

Police say the firearm used in the attack is believed to have belonged to a family member of the suspected gunman, though officers have not yet determined how he gained access to the weapon. The student had reportedly been living with adult relatives rather than his parents, according to police spokesperson Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan. No motive has been officially disclosed as of this reporting.

Emergency personnel including police, medical teams, and other law enforcement units responded quickly to the scene, with photos showing patients on stretchers being attended to by medics near ambulances outside the school. Officers from the Plai Bang Police Station were among those dispatched after initial reports of gunfire.

This marks the second school shooting in Thailand this year. In February, an 18-year-old opened fire at Patongprathankiriwat School in Hat Yai, in southern Thailand’s Songkhla province, briefly holding students and teachers hostage before being captured by police; that incident left the school’s principal dead from gunshot injuries and another person injured, with the attacker reportedly motivated by his sister having been disciplined by the school for absenteeism.

Gun ownership in Thailand is relatively high compared with other Southeast Asian nations, though school shootings of this scale remain rare in the country, making Friday’s attack one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in Thailand in recent years. Authorities have not yet released further details on the investigation’s progress or a formal accounting of the shooter’s motives.

This report addresses gun violence, school safety, and a case of suicide following a violent incident. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or violence, reaching out to a mental health professional or local crisis service can help.