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6 dead, including teen gunman, after school shooting in Thailand; 23 injured
Thailand school shooting: Authorities said a student opened fire in the school near Thailand's Bangkok, prompting other students and teachers to flee.
At least six people have been killed, including students, and 23 others injured after a shooting at a school in Thailand on Friday. According to authorities, the incident occurred at Debsirin School in Nonthaburi district, on the outskirts of the Thai capital, Bangkok.
Authorities said a student opened fire in the school, prompting students and teachers to flee as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
The incident was reported around 10am (local time) when volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation received reports of shots being fired inside the well-known secondary school.
Police have stated that the shooter, who was 14 years old, fired at least 26 bullets, and was found with 34 additional ammunition rounds. The gun had belonged to his grandfather, they added
6 deaths confirmed
As per officials, five people have been killed, including teachers and students, as per Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong.
Meanwhile, police officials have stated that the shooter has also died from a self-inflicted wound. Including the shooter's death, the toll stands at six.
Furthermore, police have stated that a total of 23 people have been injured in the attack.
While the casualties at the school stand at six, the total toll from the accident stands at eight, as the teenager also shot both grandparents before opening fire at the school.
Also Read | Thailand teen killed grandparents at home before deadly school shooting: Police
Students seen running. bystanders live stream attack
In photos circulated by emergency workers, students were seen streaming out of the school as ambulances rushed to the scene. Live streams of the incident have also gone viral on social media, with security personnel requesting the public not to stream the incident.
This incident comes months after a teacher was killed and a student was injured during a school shooting in February.
In the February incident, the gunman was identified as an 18-year-old man who opened fire at Phatong Prathan Khiriwat School in Songkhla Province. During the incident, students and teachers were also held hostage, but were freed after police intervention.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with around 10 million firearms estimated to be in circulation, which amounts to one for every seven inhabitants.
Past promises of tightening gun laws have not prevented repeated shootings in the country.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
