Thailand Mass Shooting: Ex-cop Guns Down 22 Children and 12 others in Nursery School Attack

• A former Thai police officer has killed 34 people in a mass shooting at a Bangkok daycare centre
• The gunman opened fire at the centre when he could not find his child, Thai police report
• The man fled to his home after the shooting, where he killed his wife and child before turning the gun on himself

BANGKOK- A former police officer went on a rampage killing 34 people in a gun and knife attack at a Thai daycare. 22 children were among those killed in the senseless attack.

The gunman fired on the daycare in Nong Bau Lam Phu province on Thursday, 6 October, at around 12:30 (5:30 GMT) before fleeing the childcare centre.

The suspected attacker has been identified as Panya Khamrab, a former police lieutenant who was fired from the police force in 2021 for suspected drug use, said district police official Chakkraphat Wichitaidya, News24 reported.

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Panya was on trial for a drug charge and had appeared in court hours before the mass shoot.

Reuters reported that Panya arrived at the centre at lunchtime to find his child, but the child was not at the centre that day. Police Spokesperson Paisan Luesomboon said the stress from the drug trial was further compounded by the fact that he couldn't find his child, which spurred Panya to start shooting.

A witness to the tragedy said that Panya started by shooting four or five officials, one of whom was a teacher who was eight months pregnant. The witness claimed that people thought the gunshots were fireworks but quickly ran for cover when they realised where the shots were coming from.

The witness said that Panya forced himself into a locked room where the children were sleeping and killed them. After the attack, the gunman drove home and killed his wife and child before taking his own life.

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Netizens react to the Mass shooting in Thailand

The international community is shocked by the tragic shooting, with many asking in any place in the world is safe.

Below are some reactions:

@RealSharonPeetz commented:

"Oh my word!!! How tragic!!! "

@Keith95736141 asked:

"What is happening in this world? Why did he not just take his life?"

@docter27 added:

"That's evil"

@bwwishes said:

"The news is so big it even reached here :("

Gunman terrorised KZN primary school, stabbed security guard and two other adults

In a related story, Briefly News reported that an allegedly deranged man entered a Pietermaritzburg primary school, attacked three adults, and opened fire on the premises.

The gunman breached Alston Primary School through a pedestrian gate and proceeded to assault a security guard employed at the school. The man stabbed the security guard with a screwdriver before disarming him of his gas firearm.

Source: Briefly News