Thai school shooting: Student first killed grandparents

A total of seven people have been killed in a shooting spree by a schoolboy in Thailand. The teenager shot and killed his grandparents at his home before opening fire, Reuters reported.

The incident took place on August 7. Five of the dead were victims of Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where the teenager committed suicide after the attack. Thai police are calling the incident the worst mass shooting in the country since 2022.

**Details**

The teenager used a gun belonging to his grandfather in the attack and opened fire at the school at least 26 times. 34 more bullets were found in his gun. A total of 23 people were injured in the attack. Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said that students were among the victims. The cause of the shooting is still being determined.

Debsirin School was founded in 1885 by King Chulalongkorn of Thailand. Many famous people, including diplomats, athletes and several prime ministers, have graduated from this educational institution. In the 2025 academic year, the school had about 3,100 students and 147 teachers.

**History of mass shootings in Thailand**

The worst mass murder in Thailand's recent history occurred in 2022. Then, a dismissed former police officer went on a three-hour gun and knife rampage, killing 36 people. His victims included his wife, son and 22 children sleeping in a daycare center.

And in 2020, a soldier opened fire at a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people. In July 2025, a gunman killed five people, including security guards and a vendor, at a Bangkok market before killing himself.

In 2023, a 14-year-old boy killed two people and wounded five others at a Bangkok shopping mall. He used a handgun he had bought online.

**Gun control measures tightened**

After the 2023 shooting, Anutin, then interior minister, ordered a series of measures to tighten gun control. These included temporarily suspending the issuance of new licenses, restricting gun imports, and banning anyone under the age of 20 from entering shooting ranges.

Longer-term measures include requiring gun owners to submit a medical certificate assessing their mental health and psychological state, as well as setting a specific expiration date for certain types of gun licenses.

The Small Arms Survey estimates that there are approximately 10.3 million firearms in Thailand, or 15 guns for every 100 people.