Thailand has been left reeling after a school shooting on the outskirts of Bangkok claimed eight lives in total: six people at the school itself, three teachers and three pupils, and the gunman’s grandparents, whom he is alleged to have shot dead at their home earlier that morning before making his way to the school and opening fire on staff and classmates.

The attack took place shortly after 10am local time on Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, part of a well-known network of boys’ secondary schools founded in Bangkok in 1885. The branch involved sits in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, a densely populated area on the northern outskirts of the capital from which large numbers of residents commute daily into Bangkok for work.

Student shooter dies by suicide after Nonthaburi school attack; 2 dead, up to 20 injured

A student believed to be the shooter in the attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district died by suicide after opening fire inside the school on Friday, according to officials… pic.twitter.com/ji5sky38tN

— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) August 7, 2026

Police spokesperson Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwphan said six people were killed at the school itself, three teachers and three pupils. More than 20 others were wounded, with nine in a critical condition. The youngest victim was reported to be just 12 years old. Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the attack as horrific and said he was deeply saddened by the tragedy.

Footage filmed inside a classroom and verified by CNN showed terrified pupils hiding under their desks as gunfire rang out nearby, while further video showed students being evacuated with staff members’ help.

Early reports had suggested the suspected gunman turned the weapon on himself and died from his injuries, but police later said he remained in hospital in a critical condition, receiving emergency treatment.

#Thailand: A student allegedly opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai on Friday morning.

Police have secured the school and launched an investigation. Claims of over 20 victims have not been officially confirmed. pic.twitter.com/zPtHtMfb93

— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) August 7, 2026

He killed his grandparents first

Investigations revealed that the 14-year-old lived with his grandparents, who were found dead at their home in Bang Bua Thong district before the attack on the school.

Authorities believe the teenager killed them before making his way to the school and opening fire. The 9mm pistol used in the attack belonged to his grandfather, police said. A total of 26 rounds were fired, with a further 34 rounds of ammunition recovered in the suspect’s possession.

The motive for the attack remains unknown, and investigators are continuing to establish what led the teenager to carry out the killings.

Student shooter dies by suicide after Nonthaburi school attack; 2 dead, up to 20 injured

A student believed to be the shooter in the attack at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai district died by suicide after opening fire inside the school on Friday, according to officials… pic.twitter.com/ji5sky38tN

— Thai Enquirer (@ThaiEnquirer) August 7, 2026

“He was a good pupil”

Thailand’s deputy interior minister, Polapee Suwunchwee, gave further details about the 14-year-old, saying that, based on evidence gathered by police from his home, he was an avid gamer.

A teacher at the school gave a different account, however, describing him as a good pupil with a good academic record who was not known within the school for aggressive behaviour.

Debsirin Nonthaburi is a well-known school in the area, and the massacre is expected to have a profound impact on the local community, many of whom pass through the district on their daily commute into the capital.

Second school shooting in Thailand this year

This is the second armed attack on a school in Thailand in 2026. In February, a teenage gunman shot a school director, who later died in hospital from her injuries, and wounded a female pupil during a hostage siege at a school in southern Thailand.

The country’s worst mass killing remains fresh in the national memory. In October 2022, a 34-year-old former police officer shot dead at least 36 people, most of them young children, at a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province.

Renewed debate over gun ownership

The latest massacre has reignited debate in Thailand over gun control and the effectiveness of existing legislation.

Although restrictions on firearm ownership exist in the country, access to guns, whether legal or illegal, remains relatively easy. Thailand records one of the highest rates of gun ownership in South East Asia.