Thailand School Shooting Live News: A normal school morning outside Bangkok turned into a scene of panic on Friday after gunfire sent students running from their classrooms and emergency teams rushing into Debsirin Nonthaburi School. A 14-year-old student opened fire at the school in Nonthaburi province, killing six people and injuring 15 others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
The teenager had also killed his grandparents at their home earlier in the morning.
The attack has shocked Thailand because it marks the country’s second school shooting of 2026. It has also renewed concerns about access to firearms in a country that has introduced tighter gun-control measures after several deadly shootings in recent years. Police said the weapon used in Friday’s attack belonged to the teenager’s grandfather.
Thailand School Shooting Live News: What Happened at Debsirin Nonthaburi School?
The shooting took place on Friday morning at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district of Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Police said the teenager first killed his grandparents at their home before going to the school. Once inside the campus, he opened fire, sending students and teachers into hiding.
The attack began at around 10 am local time. Police quickly moved to the school and asked students, teachers and members of the public to stay away from the area while officers dealt with the armed student.
Reuters reported that the teenager fired at least 26 rounds and that police found another 34 rounds of ammunition at the scene. Authorities said the firearm belonged to his grandfather.
The motive remains under investigation.
Thailand School Shooting Live News: Students Fled as Gunfire Rang Out
The first moments of the attack created confusion inside the school as students struggled to understand what was happening. An 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for firecrackers or someone hitting an object.
“I didn’t think it was a gun at first,” he told Reuters. “There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.”
Police instructed people inside the school to find safe places and avoid exposing themselves to the attacker. Students were later evacuated as police and emergency teams moved through the campus.
Images from the scene showed students leaving the school while ambulances gathered outside. Emergency workers also treated injured students before taking them to hospitals.
Thailand School Shooting: Six People Killed, 15 Injured in School Attack
Authorities said six people died in the school shooting, while 15 others suffered injuries.
Police said teachers and students were among those killed. Public broadcaster Thai PBS reported that three teachers and three students died, although some Thai officials initially gave different casualty figures as the emergency response continued.
The suspected shooter also died after shooting himself.
Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith said his team arrived while the attack was still unfolding. Responders treated students with injuries to their backs, chests and arms.
They also found a male teacher dead on an upper floor and a female teacher suffering gunshot wounds.
“We gave CPR for about 30 minutes and rushed her to the hospital as we could not get her heart rate up, but we tried our best,” he said.
The emergency response continued as police secured the building and evacuated students and staff.
Thailand School Shooting: Who Was the 14-Year-Old Suspect?
Police identified the shooter as a 14-year-old student at the same school.
Authorities said he used a gun belonging to his grandfather. Police also said the teenager had killed his grandparents before travelling to the school.
The sequence of events has made the case particularly alarming because the suspect was himself a student at the school and was only 14 years old.
Police have not announced a confirmed motive. Investigators are expected to examine the teenager’s background, the circumstances surrounding the deaths of his grandparents and how he obtained access to the firearm.
Thailand School Shooting: Second Major School Attack in 2026
Friday’s attack is the second major school shooting reported in Thailand this year.
In February, a teenage gunman entered a school in Hat Yai in southern Thailand after reportedly taking a firearm from a police officer. The attacker shot at people inside the school and briefly held teachers and students hostage. A school director later died from her injuries.
The latest attack comes after several other mass shootings in Thailand in recent years.
In 2022, a former police officer carried out a gun-and-knife attack at a daycare centre in northeastern Thailand, killing 36 people, including 22 children. In 2023, a 14-year-old was accused of opening fire at a Bangkok shopping centre, killing two people and injuring five others.
Thailand School Shooting: Why Gun Control is Back in Focus in Thailand
Thailand has strict laws governing firearms, but the country also has a large civilian gun population.
Reuters cited a 2017 Small Arms Survey estimate that Thailand had around 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession, equal to roughly 15 guns for every 100 people. That figure gives Thailand one of the highest civilian gun ownership rates in Southeast Asia.
Authorities introduced additional restrictions after previous mass shootings. These measures included tighter licensing rules, restrictions on firearm imports and limits affecting younger people at shooting ranges. Officials also moved toward requiring medical assessments for people seeking to obtain or renew certain gun licences.
Friday’s attack is likely to renew debate over whether existing restrictions can prevent young people from gaining access to firearms kept inside homes.
Thailand School Shooting: What Happened to Students After the Shooting?
Police evacuated students and teachers from the school as emergency teams transported injured people to hospitals.
During the attack, police also asked the public and media not to livestream the operation. Such broadcasts can reveal the location and movements of officers and people trapped inside a building.
Students were seen leaving the school in groups after police secured parts of the campus.
The school had about 3,100 students and 147 teachers during the 2025 academic year, according to district authorities.
Thailand School Shooting: Thailand School Shooting Raises Fresh Safety Questions
The Nonthaburi shooting has raised difficult questions about school security, firearm access and how authorities can protect students from attacks involving weapons taken from private homes.
The fact that the suspected attacker was a student adds another layer to the investigation. Police will need to establish how the teenager obtained the gun, whether anyone knew about his plans and what events led to the attack.
Officials will also face pressure to review firearm-storage practices, particularly in homes where children or teenagers can potentially access weapons.
Thailand School Shooting: What Happens Next?
Thai authorities are expected to continue investigating the shooting, including the deaths of the teenager’s grandparents and the source of the firearm.
Police have yet to establish a motive for the attack. Investigators will also need to determine how the teenager moved from his home to the school and how he gained access to ammunition.
For Thailand, the incident is more than another isolated shooting. It is the country’s second school shooting this year and follows several deadly attacks that have already prompted tighter gun-control measures.
The immediate focus remains on the injured, the families of those killed and the students and teachers who witnessed the violence. The longer-term question will be whether the latest tragedy leads Thailand to strengthen its approach to firearm access and school safety.
