Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has pledged to introduce tougher gun-control measures following a shooting by a 14-year-old student that killed eight people and injured 22 others on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The teenager first killed his 73-year-old grandfather and 74-year-old grandmother at their home in Nonthaburi before going to Debsirin School, where he was a student.
At the school, he opened fire and killed five teachers before taking his own life. A student later died from injuries sustained in the attack, according to Thai media.
Speaking after the incident, Anutin said he would seek to introduce new laws restricting the carrying of firearms in public. Under the proposed rules, only government officials carrying out their duties would be allowed to carry guns.
The prime minister said the tragedy should never have happened.
“I don't just feel sorry for the victims but I feel sorry that this happened. How can this happen in our country,” he said.
Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong said the gun and ammunition used in the attack belonged to the teenager’s grandfather. An initial inspection indicated that the teenager had searched for the firearm in his grandfather’s bedroom.
Thai and international media reported that the weapon was legally registered and covered by a valid permit.
Thailand has one of Southeast Asia’s highest levels of civilian gun ownership, with an estimated 10.3 million firearms in civilian hands. About 4 million of them are believed to be illegally owned.
Although Thailand has strict laws, with illegal gun possession punishable by up to 10 years in prison, enforcement has remained a challenge.
Anutin introduced several gun-control measures while serving as interior minister, including a temporary suspension of new gun licences and restrictions on firearm imports.
Attack at school
Police said the teenager is believed to have shot his grandparents at around 5am Friday at their two-storey home. Each was killed by a single gunshot, according to a police official.
After the killings, the teenager reportedly boarded a school bus carrying the firearm and dozens of rounds of ammunition.
He attended his first class at around 8:30am and his second at about 9:20am. Around 30 minutes into the second class, he pulled out the gun and opened fire.
Police Major General Dejrapee Kongdee said the teenager first shot three teachers on the school’s sixth floor.
He then went downstairs and encountered the school’s deputy director and the director’s secretary, who were going upstairs to investigate the incident. Both were shot dead on the staircase, the police officer said.
Police arrived while the shooting was still underway and found the teenager at around 10:40am after he had shot himself, Dejrapee said.
Five people were killed immediately and at least 23 others were injured. Later, Thailand’s public broadcaster and the Bangkok Post reported that another victim had died, bringing the death toll to eight.
National police chief Gen Kittiratt Phanphet said forensic investigators found that the teenager’s shooting was relatively accurate, with several bullets striking vital parts of the victims’ bodies.
Anutin said the attack appeared to have been carefully planned, with “clear steps and clear goals.”
Local media reported that police searching the teenager’s electronic devices found several videos related to school shootings in the United States.
Family members described the teenager as quiet and well behaved. His uncle told Thai media that he spent much of his time indoors playing violent video games and rarely went outside, but there had been no clear sign that he was planning an attack.
The teenager had been living with his grandparents following his parents’ divorce.
Founded in Bangkok in 1885, Debsirin School is one of Thailand’s well-known secondary schools. Its alumni include diplomats, athletes and several former prime ministers.
Source: BBC