BANGKOK: What began as a normal school day turned into a scene of horror in Thailand on Friday when a student opened fire inside a school near Bangkok, leaving at least seven people dead and 15 others injured.
The attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School sent students and teachers running for safety as emergency teams rushed to the scene to rescue victims.
According to national police officials, the suspected shooter was among the seven people killed in the incident. Lt. Col. Trirong Phophan, a spokesperson for the National Police, confirmed that 15 people were injured during the attack.
Students were seen fleeing the school premises as ambulances arrived to transport the wounded. Emergency workers shared images showing medical teams treating injured victims outside the school.
An 18-year-old student told Reuters that he initially believed the sound of gunfire was caused by firecrackers or someone hitting an object.
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“I didn’t think it was a gun at first. There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again,” the student said.
Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said teachers and students were among those killed and injured. Emergency worker Kiatikhun Verapongpradith said his team treated victims suffering injuries to their backs, chests and arms while the shooting was still ongoing.
Rescue teams found a male teacher dead on an upper floor of the school, while a female teacher was discovered with serious injuries.
“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,” Kiatikhun said.
District authorities said the school had approximately 3,100 students and 147 teachers during the 2025 academic year. Deputy Education Minister Akkharanan Kannakittinan said officials were working to provide support and assistance to affected students, families and staff.
The incident marks Thailand’s second school shooting this year. In February, a separate attack in the southern part of the country killed a teacher and injured a student.
Thailand has faced several deadly shooting incidents in recent years. In 2022, the country suffered its worst mass killing by a single attacker when a former police officer killed 36 people, including 22 children, during an attack at a daycare centre in northeastern Thailand.
Other major shootings include a 2025 Bangkok market attack that killed five people, a 2020 military shooting rampage in Nakhon Ratchasima that left 29 people dead, and a 2023 shopping mall shooting in which a 14-year-old killed two people and injured five others.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the latest attack as concerns over gun violence and school safety remain a major issue in Thailand.
