Debsirin School Shooting: 14‑Year‑Old Kills 5 Teachers, 23 Others Injured
On Friday morning, as the final classes of the week were underway, panicked students rushed from Debsirin School, a prestigious institution just outside Bangkok. Inside, police say a 14‑year‑old boy opened fire, killing five teachers and injuring more than 30 students and staff.
'I was standing in front of the teacher when she was shot,' a shaken seventh‑grader told the BBC near the gates. 'She was talking to me when the gunman showed up.'
The girl, still in her uniform with her mother nearby, described how the shooter stalked from room to room, eventually turning the weapon on himself after first gunning down his grandparents.
She recalled, 'I had to climb over the school fence to escape with other friends,' saying her mother feared for her life.
Renewed Calls for Gun Control Reform
This marks Thailand's deadliest mass shooting in years and the second at a school this year. In February, an 18‑year‑old gunman killed a head teacher and a student in a southern school siege; in 2022, a 34‑year‑old murdered 37 children at a nursery.
With over seven million weapons in the country, many unlicensed, the incident prompts a push for stricter gun‑control laws. The Prime Minister said study pressures may have played a role, noting the gunman's grandmother had been a strict teacher.
Early investigations find the 9‑mm handgun used belonged to the shooter's grandfather, with shots described as 'quite accurate' hitting vital spots. The shooter, known as a good student with good grades, was also an avid gamer.
Policymakers note restrictions on gun licences exist, yet firearms are still acquired with relative ease. A thriving black market, porous borders, and regulatory laxity have let weapons reach wrong hands; the PM has urged tightening regulations and suspending new permits.
Families and teachers grieve openly, with one teacher saying his mentor, a friend, was among the dead. 'This shouldn't have happened,' a boyfriend of a killed teacher cried, urging society to 'review gun control measures' systematically.
