Seven to eight dead after shooting at school near Bangkok, Thai officials say
Officials say the suspect is dead by a self-inflicted injury after the August 7 shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School; casualty figures remain provisional and conflicting.
By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 8, 2026, 12:38 a.m. ET
Students were in class at in the Bang Kruai of , north of Bangkok, when a shooting occurred on August , 2026, according to The Sun (Nigeria) and the Chiang Rai Times. Witnesses reported gunshots at the school shortly after 10:00am local time, according to The Sun. A Xinhua News Agency report cited by Morung Express said local police were notified at around 10am after a gunman opened fire at the school.
On , said eight people were confirmed dead, including the gunman and his grandparents, and that more than people were injured, nine of them in critical condition, according to Morung Express and The Sun. Earlier and lower figures remain on the record: The Sun reported killed, and injury totals were given as by The Sun, Morung Express and The Daily Star, by the Chiang Rai Times and by APA. The attributions also differ — The Daily Star attributed the death toll to a national police statement and the injury figure to the Prime Minister, the Chiang Rai Times cited the , APA cited , and Morung Express cited the Prime Minister. Casualty figures after an attack are provisional and are commonly revised.
All five outlets reported that the suspect is dead. The Daily Star reported that a police official said he had killed himself. Police have not stated a motive, and the circumstances have not been established. Officials have not released the identities of those killed or injured.
On the record, Anutin said police had "interrogated his close friend who said the suspect had been under stress," that "his actions also suggested that he had clearly planned," and that "the gun was a registered firearm and was kept at a house, but somehow he gained access to it," according to The Daily Star and The Sun. "How could this happen in our country?" the Prime Minister said. Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said: "We haven't checked whether students have brought weapons to school. Our level of security is not that tight." Those are officials' stated positions; they are not a determination of what happened or why.
Accounts of the setting differ. The Chiang Rai Times, The Sun, Morung Express and The Daily Star placed the incident at the school; APA gave the location at level. Morung Express reported the shooting involved the school and a home in the same province. According to authorities cited by APA, the school had an enrollment of around 3,100 students and 147 teachers in the 2025 academic year. The Daily Star reported that afterwards parents waited outside to collect their children while students and staff comforted each other. The Chiang Rai Times reported that an emergency safe zone and reunification point for parents was established at Chanratwittaya School, near , and that the incident is no longer active. Thai national police, local police, the and emergency responders responded. Anutin said authorities were "well prepared" and described "clear steps and clear goals," according to The Sun.
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Adds The Daily Star reporting that a police official said the suspect killed himself, on-record statements from the Prime Minister and Education Minister, the Daily Star attribution split for the tolls, and the crisis resource line.
Version 38 Aug 2026, 03:25
Added the Prime Minister's Friday afternoon toll of eight dead and more than 30 injured with nine critical, the Xinhua-sourced police notification time, and Morung Express's account that a home in the province was also involved.
Version 27 Aug 2026, 13:57
Adds seven dead reported by The Sun, the August 7 date and approximate time, the widened injury range (15-30) with competing attributions, the parent reunification point, the prime minister's statement, and that the incident is no longer active.
Version 17 Aug 2026, 13:22
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