A teacher has been killed and four other people injured after a student opened fire at a school near Bangkok, Thailand, before taking his own life, police have said. The shooting happened at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in the Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi province, on the northwestern outskirts of the Thai capital, on Friday. Early reports from Thailand suggested as many as four people had been killed, but police later provided an updated casualty toll. According to the latest police account, one teacher was killed in the attack while four other people – another teacher and three students – were injured. The student believed to have carried out the shooting subsequently died by suicide.
Students evacuated after gunfire erupts
Emergency services rushed to the school as police secured the campus and students and staff were evacuated. Debsirin Nonthaburi School has around 3,100 students and 147 teachers. Witnesses described hearing repeated bursts of gunfire during the attack. An 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially thought the sounds were firecrackers or someone banging an object. He said: “I didn’t think it was a gun at first. There were many shots – bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.” Police officers searched and secured the school following the shooting as emergency teams treated the injured.
Confusion over casualty figures
The scale of the incident was initially unclear, with conflicting information emerging from officials during the immediate aftermath. Thailand’s education minister, Prasert Jantararuangtong, initially said four people had been killed, including teachers and students. An interior ministry official also confirmed that the attacker was a student at the school. Police subsequently issued a more detailed assessment of the casualties, reporting that one teacher had been killed and four other people injured. The gunman was also confirmed dead.
Police investigate motive
Authorities have not yet established what motivated the student to carry out the attack. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including how the weapon was obtained. The attack comes months after another fatal shooting at a school in Thailand. In February, a gunman opened fire at a school in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, in an incident which left a school official dead and others injured. Friday’s attack prompted a major emergency response in Nonthaburi as families awaited information about students and staff. The investigation remains ongoing and casualty information could be updated further as authorities establish the full circumstances of the attack.
