A woman reacts as victims of Thailand’s deadly school shooting arrive at Bang Yai Hospital in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok after a teenage gunman killed eight people. — AFP pic By Malay Mail First Published: Friday, 07 Aug 2026 2:54 PM MYT BANGKOK, Aug 7 — A school shooting that shocked Thailand today began not in a classroom but at a family home, where a teenage boy is believed to have shot dead his grandparents before driving to school and carrying out a second, far deadlier attack.Thai police said the ninth grader used his grandfather’s 9mm handgun to kill his relatives before arriving at Debsirin Nonthaburi School on the outskirts of Bangkok, where he fatally shot three teachers and three students, local and international media reported.The eight deaths make it one of Thailand’s deadliest school shootings in recent years.The suspected shooter was later found dead inside the school, although authorities have yet to determine whether he took his own life or was killed during the police response.He is believed to have been around age 14, the average age for the ninth grade in Thailand.Fifteen other people were injured, with two reported to be in critical condition.The attack unfolded shortly after 10am local time at the well-known secondary school in Bang Kruai district, triggering panic as students fled classrooms and police locked down the campus.Debsirin Nonthaburi belongs to one of Thailand’s oldest and most prestigious school networks; its original Bangkok campus was founded by Thai King Chulalongkorn in 1885 and has produced many prominent Thai figures, including diplomats, athletes and several former prime ministers. Armed police search Debsirin Nonthaburi School after a teen shooter killed eight people, including his grandparents, three teachers and three students, in one of Thailand’s deadliest school shootings in recent years. — AFP pic During the operation, officers warned those still inside the school to stay hidden while they searched for the gunman.“Anyone trapped inside a building, hide, close everything tightly, and wait for rescue personnel to arrive,” police said in an earlier warning posted on Facebook.Students who escaped described moments of confusion before realising they were witnessing a shooting.A seventh-grade student told the BBC she saw the gunman moving between classrooms before shooting a teacher outside her classroom.Another student told Reuters he initially thought the loud bangs were firecrackers.“I didn’t think it was a gun at first,” he said.“There were many shots: bang bang bang. Then it went quiet. Then it started again.”Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul offered condolences to the victims’ families, describing the tragedy as something that “shouldn’t have happened”.The massacre has also renewed calls for tighter gun controls in Thailand, which continues to record one of the highest rates of civilian firearm ownership in Southeast Asia despite relatively strict gun laws.The country has experienced several high-profile mass shootings in recent years, including the 2022 nursery massacre that killed 24 children and 12 adults, and a school siege earlier this year that left a principal dead.“Although the motive behind the attack remains unclear at this time, an act of violence in an educational institution, which should be one of the safest places in our society, serves as a stark reminder for Thai society to seriously and systematically review gun control measures,” Opposition Leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said.