Eight victims died after a 14-year-old opened fire at his home and a high school outside Bangkok on August 7, and the gunman also died. A 12-year-old student was the latest victim to die, while 14 people remained hospitalized the following day.

The Associated Press reported on August 8 that the girl died from her wounds, taking the victim count to at least eight; Thailand's health ministry said seven of the 14 people still hospitalized were in critical condition. The gunman's death is counted separately in this report.

Attack began at the family home

The shooting took place in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Thailand's capital. Authorities said the teenager first shot his grandparents at the home they shared, then went to Debsirin Nonthaburi School and opened fire at about 10 a.m.

Thai officials told the Associated Press that five school staff members and the boy's two grandparents were killed on August 7, the gunman took his own life, and more than 20 people were wounded. The later death of the 12-year-old brought the number of victims killed to eight.

A fence and gate at a school entrance (illustrative image)
A school entrance behind a perimeter fence. (Illustrative image) Photo by Brandon Holmes on Pexels

Gun was registered to the shooter's grandfather

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said police described the weapon as small and compact. He said it was legally registered to the boy's grandfather, while police said the teenager fired more than 20 shots and still had 30 rounds when he died.

The attack therefore raises a question that registration totals alone cannot answer: whether an authorized owner's firearm is stored so that another household member cannot reach it. APPI News could not find a published official account of how the teenager obtained the gun or how it had been stored.

National gun estimate relies on 2017 data

A 2019 Small Arms Survey report estimated that Thailand had 6.2 million registered civilian firearms and 4.1 million unregistered firearms. The report said Thailand had the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia.

Those figures describe a national stock estimated from 2017 data, not guns used in this attack. They also do not show how many weapons are kept in homes with children, how many are securely stored or how the totals have changed since 2017.

School closed as investigators examined motive

Debsirin Nonthaburi School suspended classes from August 10 through August 14 and instructed staff to work from home. The state secondary school enrolls about 3,000 students between the ages of 12 and 18.

Officials reported that the teenager had shown signs of school-related stress, but some relatives said they did not know of problems at home or school. Those accounts do not establish why he carried out the attack, and a final investigative finding had not been published at the time of writing.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died?
At least eight victims died: five school staff members, the gunman's two grandparents and a 12-year-old student. The 14-year-old gunman also died.

Was the firearm registered?
Yes. Thai officials said it was legally registered to the gunman's grandfather. Authorities had not published details of how it was stored or how the teenager gained access to it.

How many civilian guns are in Thailand?
A 2019 Small Arms Survey report estimated 6.2 million registered and 4.1 million unregistered civilian firearms, using 2017 data. The figures should not be treated as a current inventory.