At least 30 people were killed, including children, after a mass shooting at a childcare center in Thailand’s northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province on Thursday.
According to the authorities, an attack that started at a daycare center in the northeastern part of Thailand has resulted in the deaths of at least 24 children and 11 adults.
The shooter then allegedly fled the scene and opened fire from his vehicle as he drove home, where he murdered his wife and child before turning the pistol on himself, according to the police.
The man, who has been identified as a former police officer, is alleged to have entered the childcare center in the town of Nongbua Lamphu at 12.30pm (4.30pm AEDT), which is when the initial attack occurred, according to the authorities.
According to a statement released by the police, the suspect fled the scene after killing twenty-one children, three young women, and two adults inside the building.
The shooter is Panya Kamrab, a former police officer who was fired as a police officer for his involvement in drug dealing.
According to Major General Jirapob Puridet’s statement to CNN, the man opened fire on the children as they were sleeping.
Pictures and videos of the crime scene that were uploaded to the internet revealed sleeping mats strewn about a preschool classroom that had blood spread all over the floor and had colorful alphabet pictures and other wall decorations.
The sound of wailing could be heard on videos as distraught family members sobbed and watched outside the nursery school facility. As police officers and other medical personnel moved around the schoolyard, ambulances waited nearby.
Reports from the Thai media state that the assailant utilized knives in addition to his firearms during the attack.
According to the police major general who spoke to the Associated Press, Paisal Luesomboon, the suspect continued to fire from his vehicle after he had fled the scene, hitting multiple persons.
According to a report in the Daily News, once he got inside his house, he murdered his wife and their child before turning the gun on himself.
The suspect, his wife, and their son were among the eleven people who were found dead outside of the day care center, according to the police. Also among the deceased were two youngsters.
Deaths caused by firearms are significantly fewer in Thailand compared to other nations such as the United States and Brazil, but they are higher in Thailand compared to countries such as Japan and Singapore that have more stringent gun control legislation.
In 2019, the number of deaths caused by firearms was approximately 4 per 100,000 people. This is comparable to a rate of almost 11 per 100,000 in the United States and over 23 per 100,000 in Brazil.
