Death toll in Thailand school shooting rises to 6; 3 teachers, 3 students killed

The death toll in the school shooting that took place earlier on Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand's Nonthaburi province has risen to six, with three teachers and three students killed after a 14-year-old student opened fire on the campus, CNN reported, citing law enforcement authorities.

The death toll in the school shooting that took place earlier on Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand's Nonthaburi province has risen to six, with three teachers and three students killed after a 14-year-old student opened fire on the campus, CNN reported, citing law enforcement authorities. According to CNN, citing authorities, the teenage suspect killed his grandparents at their residence before heading to the school, where he carried out the shooting using a handgun believed to belong to his grandfather.

Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan, spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, said six people were killed in the attack, while more than 20 others sustained injuries. Nine of the injured remain in critical condition, with the youngest victim reported to be 12 years old, CNN reported. The shooting took place at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district, north of Bangkok. The school has an enrolment of around 3,000 students.

Initial reports had suggested that the suspected gunman had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, Lt Gen Trairong later clarified that the suspect remains in critical condition and is receiving emergency medical treatment.

According to authorities, most of the casualties were teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17. Videos verified by CNN showed frightened students taking cover under classroom desks as gunshots echoed through the school building. Other footage showed students being evacuated from the campus with the assistance of school staff.

Authorities also released a photograph showing a handgun and several rounds of ammunition recovered from inside the school. Police said the suspect had been living with his grandparents rather than his parents. Investigators are examining how the teenager obtained access to the firearm.

Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau said the "situation is now under control," CNN reported. Reacting to the incident, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed grief over the attack.

"This is horrible; it shouldn't have happened," the Prime Minister said. Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia.

According to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, there were more than 10.3 million civilian-owned firearms in the country in 2017, equivalent to around 15 guns per 100 people. Data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington has also ranked Thailand second in Southeast Asia, after the Philippines, in gun-related homicides.

The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly firearm incidents in the country. In February this year, a teacher was killed and a student injured in a shooting at a school in Hat Yai district. In 2022, Thailand witnessed one of its deadliest mass killings when 36 people, including 24 children, were killed in an attack on a childcare centre in the country's northeast. (ANI)