Shooting at Nonthaburi school leaves at least five dead; toll figures conflict
Thai police and the prime minister described a 14-year-old student opening fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School on Aug 7, 2026, hours after his grandparents were killed at their home; reported death tolls range from five to seven.
By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 7, 2026, 10:45 a.m. ETUpdated Aug 8, 2026, 10:54 p.m. ET
Between and people were killed and, according to conflicting reports, between and injured in a shooting at in , , on Aug , 2026. NBC Los Angeles and Channel NewsAsia both reported killed, while Channel NewsAsia also reported killed; NBC Los Angeles attributed its toll to Thailand's Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. NBC Los Angeles reported injured, while Channel NewsAsia reported injured as of noon. Officials have not released the identities of those killed or hurt. The incident is no longer active, according to Channel NewsAsia, and this account is developing.
The shooting happened during a school day in progress. Channel NewsAsia reported that the 14-year-old student's first class of the day began at 8: am and his second class began at 9:20 am — timings the outlet did not attribute to a named official — and that police estimate he drew out the gun and began shooting about half an hour into that second class. An official said Plai Bang Police Station received a phone call about a shooting at 9:57 am. Police Major General Dejrapee Kongdee, commander of the Nonthaburi Provincial Police, said officers clearing the building floor-by-floor found the teenager on the fourth floor at around 10:40 am, where he had already shot himself. Sources differ on how that was described: Channel NewsAsia reported the Nonthaburi provincial police commander describing a self-inflicted gunshot, while NBC Los Angeles reported the prime minister saying he killed himself.
Maj Gen Dejrapee said the attacker "walked down the stairs and encountered the school's deputy director and the director's secretary, who were going up the stairs to check on the situation" and "shot and killed both of them on the staircase." He also said of one victim, "He was still alive, so they performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital." He described the student as "quiet, not very sociable, and fairly good academically."
Police Colonel Thadsakorn Konthong, superintendent of Bang Bua Thong Police Station, said the boy killed his elderly grandparents at their house in Bang Bua Thong at around am local time (2200 GMT Thursday). Col Thadsakorn said "the firearm and the bullets belonged to the grandfather" and that "an initial inspection found signs that the firearm had been searched for inside the grandfather's bedroom." Police have not stated a motive, and the reason for the attack has not been determined.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said: "We rushed to care for the injured and I have dispatched the relevant personnel to handle the situation at the site." He called the attack "very terrible, it is something that should not have happened," said "his actions were deliberate — from what we saw he had a plan," said the student "was stressed from his studies," and added: "As much as possible, we have to create an atmosphere of safety." He also said the case was "the reason why the government doesn't allow arm carrying and extension of gun licenses." Police, Bang Bua Thong Police Station, Plai Bang Police Station and the Nonthaburi Provincial Police responded.
Death toll now reported as a conflicting range of five to seven, and added the prime minister's statement that the student "was stressed from his studies."
Version 19 Aug 2026, 02:28
First published.
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