At least seven people, including a student gunman, were killed Friday in a shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Thailand’s Bang Kruai district. Authorities reported 15 others were injured as the attacker, a student at the school, took his own life following the incident, which occurred on the outskirts of Bangkok.
The incident unfolded on the morning of August 7, 2026, causing panic among students and staff at the prestigious secondary school. Witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots, initially mistaking the sounds for firecrackers or someone banging an object. I didn’t think it was a gun at first,
one 18-year-old student told Reuters. There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.
Casualties and Emergency Response at Debsirin Nonthaburi School
While reports on the exact casualty count varied in the immediate aftermath, Lt. Col. Trirong Phophan, a spokesman for the National Police, confirmed that seven people died, including the suspected student gunman. Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong stated that the victims included both teachers and students. The Poh Teck Tung Foundation, a Bangkok-based rescue organization, mobilized ambulances to transport the injured to local hospitals, with some emergency personnel attempting resuscitation on the suspect before he was pronounced dead.
Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith described the grim scene inside the school, where his team discovered a male teacher dead on an upper floor and a female teacher with chest and arm wounds in another room. We gave CPR for about 30 minutes and rushed her to the hospital as we could not get her heart rate up, but we tried our best,
Verapongpradith said. Official reports regarding the 15 injured individuals, as cited by Reuters, contrasted slightly with other local media reports, such as those from the Thai Enquirer mentioned by Anadolu Agency, which suggested up to 20 people were wounded.
Investigation into the Perpetrator and Weaponry
Authorities have identified the perpetrator as a student of the school, though his motive remained unclear as of Friday afternoon. Arsit Sampantharat, the permanent secretary for the interior ministry, told the news station PPTV that the student had remained inside the school building after the initial reports of the attack. According to reports cited by the Thai Enquirer, police recovered dozens of rounds of ammunition from a bag belonging to the shooter.
The use of a handgun has prompted an interior ministry investigation into how the student obtained the firearm. This event marks the second school shooting in Thailand this year; in February, a teacher was killed and a student injured in the southern district of Hat Yai. In that earlier incident, the assailant had reportedly stolen a 9mm pistol from a police officer before carrying out the attack.
Broader Context of Gun Violence in Thailand
Debsirin Nonthaburi School, which serves approximately 3,100 students and 147 teachers, is part of a network of schools founded by the Thai royal family. Estimates suggest there are roughly 10 million firearms in circulation across Thailand, a ratio of approximately one gun for every seven inhabitants.
Thailand has struggled with several high-profile mass shootings in recent years, including a 2022 attack in the northeast that resulted in 36 deaths, and a 2023 incident at a Bangkok shopping center where a 14-year-old used a modified handgun to kill two people. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul addressed the tragedy at Government House, expressing shock at the violence. It’s such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?
he told reporters.
As the investigation continues, authorities remain focused on securing the campus and determining the specific circumstances that led to the shooting. Parents were seen collecting their children from the school throughout the day as traffic in the Bang Kruai district came to a standstill.
Worth a look