Families retrieve bodies after deadly shooting rampage outside Bangkok

Families person retrieved the bodies of their loved ones a time aft a wide shooting astatine a schoolhouse and a location extracurricular Bangkok, arsenic a 12-year-old miss died successful hospital, raising the decease toll to nine, including the teenage shooter.

A 14-year-old schoolboy opened occurrence astatine astir 10am section clip (03:00 GMT) connected Friday astatine Debsirin Nonthaburi School successful Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, northwest of the Thai capital, earlier taking his ain life. According to officials, the lad appeared to person killed his 2 grandparents astatine their location earlier successful the morning.

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All 8 bodies – 5 schoolhouse unit members, the alleged attacker and his grandparents – were collected by aboriginal Saturday day from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine. Emergency workers brought retired a coffin and loaded it onto an ambulance, which volition transport them to their hometown for ceremonial rites.

Sixteen radical are inactive successful infirmary connected Saturday, 7 of them successful captious condition, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Most of the wounded were betwixt 12 and 14 years old.

Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, caput of the institute, told The Associated Press quality bureau that astir of the victims suffered a azygous fatal gunshot coiled to a captious area, including the thorax oregon head.

He added that the gunshot coiled recovered connected the alleged attacker was accordant with the limb helium had used. More elaborate forensic findings, including toxicology results, are expected later.

Officials said the gun, described arsenic tiny and compact, was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather.

There were reports that the boy, who lived with his grandparents, had shown signs of accent connected to school, though a fewer of his relatives told Thai media they were unaware of immoderate troubles helium mightiness person been facing.

The schoolhouse said each classes would beryllium suspended from August 10 to 14. School unit were instructed to enactment from location during that time.

On Saturday morning, the schoolhouse was quiet, with lone a insignificant constabulary beingness astatine the entrance. A fewer mourners came to laic flowers astatine the gate.

Charin Siriananchai brought his 2 sons, ages 9 and 6, to wage their respects. He said that portion his sons bash not survey here, helium lives successful the neighbourhood and drives past this schoolhouse astir each day, often stopping to let students to transverse the road.

“Everyone was saddened and shocked due to the fact that it was unexpected that this would hap successful Thailand, and besides it’s rather a large loss,” helium told AP.

Some parents besides came with their children to cod their belongings near down aft the shooting. A father, who declined to place himself, said his son, who was astatine the schoolhouse during the shooting, was inactive successful daze and could not slumber alone.

Within hours of Friday’s shooting rampage, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pledged to present a caller firearms power instrumentality successful the country.

Anutin, who antecedently tightened weapon laws during his tenure arsenic interior minister, said helium would present suggest a instrumentality to restrict the carrying of firearms by the public.

“The caller instrumentality volition lone let authorities officials connected work to transportation guns,” helium told reporters, without giving immoderate further details.

Thailand has 1 of the highest rates of weapon ownership successful Asia, 2nd lone to Pakistan and acold surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbours.

According to the Small Arms Survey’s 2017 report, determination were an estimated 10.3 cardinal firearms successful civilian possession successful Thailand, an mean of 15 guns per 100 residents. About 60% of these weapons were registered, and different 40% were not, the Geneva-based radical said.

There person been incidents of wide shootings successful Thailand successful caller years.

In February, a teacher was killed and a pupil injured successful confederate Thailand’s Hat Yai territory aft a gunman opened occurrence astatine a school.

In October 2022, a erstwhile constabulary serviceman killed dozens of people, including children, successful a weapon and weapon onslaught successful Nong Bua Lamphu province.