A 14-year-old student opened fire at a secondary school in Kamphaeng Phet province on 2 Sept, firing several rounds before being subdued by teachers and police.
A security guard sustained a minor injury in the incident, which reportedly happened at around 2pm.
Meanwhile, a teacher’s vehicle was also damaged after being struck by a bullet.
The shooting took place at Wachiraprakarn Witthayakhom School where the student, who was temporarily suspended from classes, entered the school compound carrying a 9mm handgun.
A school security guard said he was alerted by a parent that the student was carrying a firearm.
However, before he could respond, the student fired shots near him, leaving his ears ringing.
Source: ThaiPBS
The student then fired another shot into the air near a tree in the middle of the school compound before continuing to fire several more rounds.
One bullet hit a teacher’s car parked inside the compound, shattering its window.
Initial reports said the student fired about six shots, while other reports said around eight rounds were fired.
After the shooting began, school officials instructed students to remain inside their classrooms and lock the doors.
Source: ThaiPBS
Teachers and police officers rushed to the scene and managed to restrain the teenager before seizing the handgun.
The student was taken into police custody, and authorities are investigating the motive behind the shooting.
Investigators found that the student had taken the firearm from his father, an active-duty police officer.
He had retrieved the weapon from his father’s car while his father was sleeping after a night shift.
Reports state that he used a glass-breaking hammer to break into the vehicle.
Source: Daily News
The boy reportedly retrieved a 9mm pistol, two magazines, and around 20 rounds of ammunition before walking about 2km to the school.
When he arrived at the main gate, a security guard noticed the firearm and attempted to intervene.
The student then fired a shot that grazed the guard’s neck.
He continued firing across the school compound before heading towards a female teacher’s office, where he fired another round.
Police said the student was specifically looking for a teacher.
During questioning, the teenager reportedly said he targeted the teacher because he believed she had shared details of a previous physical altercation involving him with other people.
Police said the teacher had only raised concerns about the incident to prevent further violence.
Authorities said the student appeared panicked and distressed after his arrest before officers calmed him down.
The boy’s mother told authorities that he had been suffering from severe stress caused by prolonged bullying at school.
She claimed he had received medical treatment and psychiatric medication, with his condition initially improving.
She added that his parents’ separation had also contributed to his emotional struggles.
Source: ThaiPBS
The mother said her son had recently asked to stay with her for two weeks because he felt stressed living with his father.
During his school break, he repeatedly wanted to return to physical classes and meet his friends rather than continue homeschooling.
Forensic checks on the student’s phone found that he had recently purchased a glass-breaking hammer online.
His YouTube search history also contained queries about firearm operation and videos analysing mass shooting incidents.
Source: Daily News
They also discovered that the student had previously sent messages to classmates threatening to bring a gun to school.
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Featured image adapted from ThaiPBS.