At least seven people were killed and 23 others injured on 7 August 2026 when a 14-year-old student opened fire at his home and then at his school in Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters the teenager killed his grandparents at home before shooting five teachers dead at Debsirin School and then turning the gun on himself. Nine of those wounded remain in critical condition, according to authorities. In the days following the attack, Anutin pledged to introduce stricter national gun laws in response to the tragedy.
Officials initially reported that eight people had died, but the toll was later revised downward to seven victims, not including the suspect, according to a live updates report. Thailand's deputy interior minister said 15 of the injured were not struck by gunfire at all, but were hurt while attempting to flee the scene, according to a report from The New Indian Express. A separate account from another outlet stated that eight people were confirmed dead and 22 injured, with a ninth fatality reported later after a wounded student succumbed to their injuries — figures that differ slightly from the toll given by Thai officials.
Officers were dispatched to the scene while the shooting was still underway, which began shortly after 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT). National police chief Kittiratt Phanphet said forensic examination showed the gunman's aim had been notably precise, with multiple shots striking vital areas of his victims' bodies. Police say the boy fired at least 26 bullets during the attack and was later found still carrying 34 additional rounds, according to Channel News Asia — a figure roughly consistent with the prime minister's earlier statement that the attacker still had "more than 30 bullets left" when he took his own life.
What is the sequence of events?
According to police accounts relayed by international media, the teenager shot his 73-year-old grandfather and 74-year-old grandmother at their two-storey flat at around 05:00 local time, each killed by a single shot to the head. He then boarded a school bus carrying the firearm and dozens of bullets, attended his first class at 08:30 and his second at 09:20. Around half an hour into that second class, he drew the gun and began shooting, first targeting teachers on the school's sixth floor and killing three of them there. He then reportedly walked down a stairwell, where he encountered the school's deputy director and the director's secretary, who were on their way up to check on the situation, and shot both of them dead. Police, who had been deployed while the shooting was still active, found the attacker had killed himself by around 10:40 local time.
Was the attack planned?
Yes — according to the prime minister, the assault bore the hallmarks of deliberate planning. He described it as "well prepared" with "clear steps and clear goals." Authorities have not released the attacker's name and have not confirmed a definitive motive, though Anutin suggested academic stress may have been a factor. Separately, a classmate described the suspect as "troubled" and said he had been "bullied," according to The New Indian Express.
Local media reported that police examined devices belonging to the teenager and found several videos related to school shootings in the United States. Family members have described the teenager as quiet and well-behaved, and his uncle told Thai media the boy spent much of his time indoors playing violent video games and rarely went outside, adding that there had been no indication he was planning an attack. The attacker had reportedly been living with his grandparents because his parents were divorced.
The firearm used in the attack belonged to the suspect's grandfather, a former teacher, according to a broadcaster's report. Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong said the gun and bullets used belonged to the grandfather, and an initial inspection found signs the firearm had been searched for inside his bedroom. International and local media have reported the weapon was legally registered and carried a valid permit. Investigators have been examining the family home, where officers were seen removing computer equipment and boxes believed to be linked to the killing of the grandparents that preceded the school attack.
What happened at the school?
Debsirin School, established in Bangkok in 1885, is regarded as one of Thailand's most prestigious secondary institutions, with campuses across the country and alumni that include diplomats, athletes and several former prime ministers. The Nonthaburi campus is part of that wider, well-known educational franchise, and police warned the public to stay clear of the area while the incident was still active.
A female student in the seventh grade, still dressed in her school uniform, told a reporter she had been standing directly in front of her teacher at the moment the woman was shot, an account also described in our earlier coverage of the attack.
"She was talking to me when [the gunman] showed up and shot her," she said. "I couldn't see anything but a [cloud] of dust."
The student, accompanied by her mother, described how the attacker moved methodically between rooms during the rampage.
"I had to climb over the school fence to escape with other friends."
Her mother recounted the fear her daughter expressed in the moment, recalling that the girl believed she might not survive.
"[She said] 'I thought I'd never see you again'."
Another student described initially mistaking the gunfire for fireworks.
"There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again."
Witnesses saw students and staff fleeing the campus in panic, while parents and bystanders gathered outside, visibly shaken. Authorities urged anyone still trapped inside the building to remain hidden and wait for rescue teams to reach them.
In the aftermath, the school issued a social media appeal for blood donations, and nearby schools cancelled classes early so students could return home safely.
How has the government responded?
Prime Minister Anutin offered condolences to the victims and their families, describing the attack as a tragedy that should never have occurred.
"This is why the government do not allow [citizens] to possess firearms," he said. "I don't just feel sorry for the victims but I feel sorry that this happened. How can this happen in our country."
Anutin has pledged to introduce new legislation restricting the carrying of firearms in public, under which only government officials on duty would be permitted to carry guns. He has said that ordinary citizens should not carry firearms in public places such as restaurants. This is not his first gun-control push: during an earlier tenure as interior minister, following the October 2023 Bangkok mall shooting, Anutin introduced a short-term ban on new gun licences and tighter import restrictions, according to The Straits Times.
Thailand enforces strict firearms legislation, with illegal possession punishable by up to ten years in prison. Enforcement, however, has long been inconsistent, and police have not indicated that the weapon used — legally owned by the suspect's grandfather — was obtained unlawfully. The country has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia; while earlier reporting put the share of illegally held firearms at around 40%, The Straits Times reported that Thailand has roughly 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession, of which around four million are believed to be owned illegally.
The attack has been described as Thailand's worst mass killing in nearly four years, according to a report from The Globe and Mail. It marks the second school shooting in Thailand this year, intensifying calls for the government to tighten firearms regulation and enforcement.
The incident follows a series of school-related attacks internationally in recent months, including a shooting at a vocational high school in Turkey in April 2026 that left 16 people injured before the attacker killed himself, and a shooting motivated by a bullying grudge that left three students dead at a school in Tacloban, Philippines, in June 2026.
What new gun-control measures has the government announced?
Thailand's Interior Ministry has extended a nationwide suspension of public firearm-carry permits, with local officials instructed to tighten enforcement and background checks across the country, according to The Straits Times. Anutin has formally signed an urgent order suspending the issuance of firearm carry permits, known as Por.12 permits, for one year, effective from the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette, according to Thairath.
The new enforcement drive will include strict background checks examining applicants' personal behaviour, associates and possible ties to illegal activity under Section 13 of the 1947 Firearms Act, The Straits Times reported. Under the policy package, no new applicants will be granted firearm licences, and owners of real or imitation guns will be required to register them with authorities, according to The Nation Thailand. Authorities are also moving to crack down on online gun sales, with the Interior Ministry coordinating with police and the digital ministry, the outlet reported. Officials have framed the 2026 crackdown as a response to repeated violent gun use in public spaces, according to the text of the suspension order.
What happens next?
Investigators continue to work the scene in Nonthaburi, with forensic officers gathering evidence to build a fuller picture of the attack's planning and execution, according to the latest coverage. No timeline has been given for when the inquiry, including efforts to establish a definitive motive, will conclude.
The one-year suspension of firearm carry permits is set to take effect the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette, according to Thairath. The Interior Ministry has said its wider gun-control measures will be reviewed every 15 days, according to The Nation Thailand.
Key Facts
- Seven people died — the suspect's grandparents and five teachers — with the 14-year-old attacker also taking his own life; a separate report put the toll at eight or nine including a student who later died.
- 23 people were injured, nine critically; 15 of the injured were hurt while fleeing rather than by gunfire.
- The attacker fired at least 26 bullets and still had 34 rounds left when he died.
- The gun belonged to the suspect's grandfather, a former teacher, and was reportedly legally registered with a valid permit.
- Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed a one-year suspension of public firearm-carry permits and pledged stricter background checks nationwide.
- The attack is being called Thailand's worst mass killing in nearly four years and the second school shooting in the country this year.
