On Sunday, August 9, Thai police reported that the 14-year-old suspect in the school shooting incident in Nakhon Pathom Province on the outskirts of Bangkok had his air gun confiscated by a teacher last year and had accessed online content related to violence.
Authorities are still investigating the motive and background of the perpetrator. According to reports from Reuters and local media in Thailand, investigators have questioned 17 relevant witnesses and examined the suspect’s phone and computer to uncover the “true cause of the shooting.”
Deputy Chief of the First Provincial Police Region, Atthapol Anusit, stated that based on witness testimonies, the suspect began showing interest in learning about firearms about one to two years ago and had learned how to use guns through social media.
Atthapol mentioned that upon inspecting the suspect’s computer, they found that he had viewed content on social media related to violence. However, there is currently no evidence indicating that the suspect had practiced shooting. Atthapol also noted that a teacher had confiscated a BB gun (an air gun) brought to school by the boy last year.
The boy’s parents divorced, and he had been living with his grandparents for the past 12 years.
The 14-year-old teenager allegedly fatally shot his grandparents at home on Friday, then went to his school and opened fire. The school shooting resulted in at least 6 deaths and over 30 injuries. The perpetrator later committed suicide by shooting himself. Including the perpetrator and his grandparents, a total of 9 people died in the incident. This is one of the most severe mass shooting incidents in Thailand since 2022.
Authorities are not only verifying the facts of the case but also investigating the motive and background of the suspect. The police have not yet disclosed a clear motive for the crime.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated on Saturday, August 8, that the government is drafting a stricter new gun control law to further enhance gun control and improve school security to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.
The Thai Ministry of Education also announced that new school safety regulations would be formulated in the next three months, including mental health screenings, establishing mechanisms to refer high-risk students to professionals, and conducting emergency drills on school campuses.
Authorities also plan to intensify efforts to combat bullying in schools and enhance inspections of individuals and items entering school premises to prevent dangerous items such as weapons from being brought onto school grounds.