BANGKOK – A 12-year-old schoolgirl succumbed Saturday to severe injuries sustained in a shooting the previous day at a high school and family home outside Bangkok, pushing the total death toll from the attack to at least eight.
The 14-year-old gunman began firing shortly before 10 a.m. Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, northwest of the Thai capital, before apparently taking his own life. Officials said he also appeared to have fatally shot his two grandparents at the family’s residence earlier that morning.
The girl, a seventh grader, died after being hospitalized, according to the Health Ministry. The school had posted a message on Facebook Friday requesting blood donations for two students, including the seventh grader.
Fourteen people remain hospitalized, seven of them still in critical condition as of Saturday, the Health Ministry reported. Most of the wounded were between 12 and 14 years old.
Relatives retrieved the remains of eight people from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine: five school employees, the suspected shooter, and his grandparents. Emergency crews carried out a casket and placed it into an ambulance for transport back to the victims’ hometowns for funeral services.
The young girl’s body has not yet been released.
Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, who heads the institute, said most victims suffered a single fatal gunshot wound to a vital area, such as the chest or head.
He added that the gunshot wound found on the alleged shooter matched the weapon he had used. More comprehensive forensic results, including toxicology findings, are expected later, Wiroon said.
Officials stated that the firearm , described as small and compact , had been legally registered to the boy’s grandfather.
There were reports that the boy, who lived with his grandparents, had exhibited signs of stress related to school, though some relatives told Thai media they were unaware of any difficulties he may have been experiencing.
The co-educational state school, which enrolls roughly 3,000 students between ages 12 and 18, announced that all classes would be suspended from Aug. 10-14, with staff instructed to work remotely during that period.
A handful of mourners placed flowers Saturday morning at the school’s gate, where a few police officers were stationed.
Charin Siriananchai brought his two sons, 9 and 6, to pay their respects. Although his children do not attend the school, Charin said he lives in the neighborhood and drives past it nearly every day, frequently pausing to let students cross the street.
“Everyone was saddened and shocked, because it was unexpected that this would happen in Thailand, and also it’s quite a great loss,” he said.
Some parents also accompanied their children to gather belongings left behind following the shooting. One father, who asked not to be identified, said his son, who had been at the school during the attack, remained in shock and was unable to sleep alone.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, trailing only Pakistan and well above its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Data gathered in 2017 by Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org in their most recent broad international study showed civilian gun ownership in Thailand at approximately 15.1 guns per 100 people, compared to fewer than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia.
Thailand recorded 3.49 firearm deaths per 100,000 people, based on 2023 figures published by World Population Review. While that figure falls well below parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, it remains relatively elevated for Asia, with only the Philippines ranking higher in Southeast Asia.
Though mass shootings are uncommon in Thailand, the country has experienced a rise in prominent shooting deaths in recent years.
In February, a 17-year-old took a firearm from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, briefly holding people hostage during a two-hour siege that left one person dead and two others injured.
In 2023, a 14-year-old was charged in connection with a shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall.