Thai Police Say Shooter Watched Foreign Shooting Videos; Anutin Pledges to Amend Laws for Strict Control of Household Firearms

(Bangkok, 9th) — The school shooting that shocked the nation in Thailand on Friday has resulted in nine deaths. Prime Minister Anutin has pledged that the government will amend the law to further tighten gun control and improve campus security to prevent similar tragedies from recurring.

On Saturday (August 8), Anutin told reporters that the current law already strictly prohibits the public from carrying weapons in public places. The government is drafting an even stricter, brand-new gun control bill to eliminate the risks associated with households obtaining legally registered firearms.

He emphasized that the perpetrator was not a habitual offender but a minor who had been under long-term psychological stress. The weapon involved was legally registered and stored at home, which allowed the juvenile to obtain it easily, unlike the firearms often seen with police officers or security personnel in public places.

Anutin also called on educational institutions to strengthen safety measures to prevent weapons from being brought onto campuses. However, he cautioned against taking overly aggressive measures, stating that requiring all students to undergo X-ray or metal detector screening before entering school would be impractical and inappropriate.

He also said that incidents of youth violence highlight the importance of mental health, pointing out that such incidents are often triggered by impulsive emotions under sudden stress, rather than chronic mental illness.

This act of school violence occurred in Nonthaburi Province, northwest of Bangkok, where a 14-year-old boy on Friday (7th) shot and killed his grandparents at home before heading to school and opening fire. He later committed suicide. A total of eight people died, including the shooter’s grandparents, school staff, and the shooter himself, with more than 30 injured.

A 12-year-old female victim succumbed to her injuries at the hospital on Saturday, increasing the death toll to nine. Two students remain in critical condition.

This is the second school shooting in Thailand this year. The Ministry of Home Affairs and its Provincial Administrative Departments have urgently ordered six national precautionary measures, including strict control over firearm possession, ensuring safe storage of firearms and ammunition, proactive crackdowns on illegal firearms and drugs, monitoring high-risk groups to prevent copycat shootings, increased patrols at schools and shopping centers, and providing assistance to those affected.

Police: Shooter Had Watched Foreign Shooting Videos Before the Incident
According to Thai media, the teenage shooter’s parents divorced when he was young, and he had always lived with his grandparents. Relatives told The Bangkok Post that the boy was quiet, well-behaved, had little contact with people, and liked playing computer games.

Investigators checked his computer and found that he had watched foreign school shooting videos before the incident, and had also played computer games with violent content.

According to the timeline released by Thai police, the teenager shot and killed his grandfather, who was preparing breakfast, and his grandmother, who was sleeping, at home around 5am on Friday. He then took his usual school bus to school. As the family lived in a rice field area with no close neighbors, no one heard the gunshots.

During the second class, the boy launched his attack. He first shot a Thai language female teacher in the eye on the sixth floor of the teaching building, then shot at students while walking along the corridor, and killed the deputy principal and his secretary who came to investigate as he descended the stairs.

The teenager then headed toward another building, but as police arrived on the scene, he fled to a nearby four-story building. Police later found he had shot himself, but he still showed signs of life. He died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Police revealed that the boy fired at least 26 shots at the scene and that they found 34 bullets on him.

Thailand is one of the countries in Asia with the highest rate of gun ownership, with an estimated 10.3 million firearms held by civilians — about 15 guns for every 100 residents.