A Thailand school shooting killed five staff members at Debsirin Nonthaburi School near Bangkok on Friday, 7 August 2026, before the 14-year-old attacker took his own life.
The shooting began at about 10:00 local time (05:00 SAST) at the state co-educational school in Bang Kruai, Nonthaburi province, north-west of Bangkok, as reported by NPR.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee, speaking at the scene, said teachers and administrators were among the five staff killed.
How the Thailand school shooting unfolded
Polapee said the boy killed his two grandparents at their home before going to school. Officers sent to the house found the door locked with no response from inside, and regional police commander Wattana Yeejeen said they broke the lock and found both dead of apparent gunshot wounds.
Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan said the student appeared to have shot his grandparents first, then attended school as normal.
After classes had started, he began firing from inside his classroom before walking out and continuing to shoot. Officials said he then took his own life at the school.
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What police said about the shooting and the weapon
Trairong said the boy fired more than 20 shots inside and outside the classroom, and that more than 30 rounds of ammunition were found on him after he shot himself.
Police described the firearm as small and compact.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who toured the school after the attack, confirmed the shooter was 14 years old and had shown signs of stress linked to school.
He called the shooting “premeditated”. The gun was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather.
Witnesses describe the scene outside the school
A separate witness said pupils hid inside a classroom while shots came from another building, until police cleared a route out. Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant about 50 metres from the school, described hearing a single shot followed by sustained gunfire.
“At first I heard just one gunshot, and there was a pause. And then there were multiple continuous shots.”
“Students were running scared and pouring onto the street. Young girls were holding each other’s hands and crying. I went inside to hide.”
Bangyai Hospital, roughly five kilometres from the school, said 23 people were wounded and 10 were in a critical condition, most of them with gunshot wounds.
Earlier accounts from the scene had given conflicting casualty figures.
Thailand’s recent history of school shootings
Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan, and minors have featured in some of its most serious recent attacks.
A 14-year-old boy was accused of a shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall in 2023.
In February 2026, a 17-year-old who stole a gun from police opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, killing one person and injuring two others during a two-hour attack.
The teenager briefly took hostages before the siege ended.
The school said all classes would be suspended from Monday, 10 August to Friday, 14 August 2026, and that staff should work from home during that period.
About 3 000 pupils, aged between 12 and 18, will stay away from the campus for the week.
