Thai Teen in Deadly School Shooting Had History of Violent Online Content and Air Gun Confiscation, Police Say

BANGKOK, Thailand – The 14-year-old boy responsible for a deadly school shooting near Bangkok had previously had an air gun confiscated by a teacher and was found to have viewed violent content online, according to police statements on August 9. The incident, which occurred on Friday, involved the teenager allegedly killing his grandparents at home before fatally shooting six others at his school and then turning the gun on himself.

Deputy Commissioner Atthapol Anusit of the Provincial Police Region 1 revealed that investigations showed the suspect had used social media platforms to learn how to handle firearms. Witness interviews indicated that the teenager had been interested in studying firearms for approximately one to two years prior to the attack.

Police have interviewed 17 witnesses so far and recovered several pieces of evidence from the crime scenes, including a firearm, spent cartridge cases, a knife found in the boy’s bag, and a personal computer. Examination of the computer revealed that the teenager had consumed social media content involving violence, although authorities have not found evidence that he had practiced shooting.

Atthapol also noted that the boy had a BB gun, a type of air gun, confiscated by a teacher at school last year. The teenager had lived with his grandparents for 12 years following his parents’ separation, according to the deputy commissioner.

In response to the tragedy, Thailand’s Ministry of Education announced plans to develop new safety protocols over the next three months. These measures will include mental health screenings, a referral system for at-risk individuals to specialists, emergency response drills, anti-bullying initiatives, and enhanced detection methods to prevent weapons and other dangerous items from being brought into schools.

The shooting resulted in the deaths of six people at the school, in addition to the teenager’s grandparents, and left more than 20 others injured. This marks the worst mass shooting in Thailand since 2022 and has reignited discussions about gun control in Southeast Asia’s largest gun-owning country.

Authorities continue to investigate the motives behind the attack and the extent to which the teenager’s online activities and access to firearms contributed to the tragedy. The government’s commitment to improving school safety protocols aims to prevent similar incidents in the future.