Teenage suspect guns down six in Thailand school, later found dead

Security officers guard a school after a shooting left people dead and injured in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, on August 7 2026. (Photo/AP)

Seven people were killed in a school shooting in Thailand on Friday, including the gunman, and 15 people were wounded, Thai national police spokesperson Trairong Phiwphan said.

Fifteen students were also injured, most while trying to flee the scene rather than from gunfire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province.

Authorities identified the suspected shooter as a student at the school. Local media reported he later died, though accounts differed on whether he was shot by police or died by suicide.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the attack as a tragedy.

"It's such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?" he told reporters.

Probe focuses on gun source

Authorities said the suspect used a handgun, and the Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into how the teenager obtained the weapon.

Images published by local media showed the suspect in a school uniform carrying a black cross-body bag, with bullet casings scattered across the school grounds.

The shooting brought traffic around the school to a standstill as anxious parents rushed to collect their children.

The attack is the latest to reignite concerns over gun violence in Thailand, where an estimated 10 million firearms are in circulation despite repeated government pledges to tighten gun laws.

The country has witnessed several high-profile shootings in recent years, including a 2022 massacre at a nursery in northeastern Thailand in which an ex-policeman killed 36 people, including 24 children.

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Source: TRT