A former police officer opened fire at a preschool daycare in Thailand, killing at least 38 people, most of them children, officials in the country said.
The suspect, identified as Panya Kamrab, used an automatic weapon to fire at the center located in Thailand’s Nong Bua Lamphu province today around 12:30 p.m. local time. He killed at least 24 children, Jackrapat Wijitwaitaya, a local police official, told Bloomberg. Other victims included various officials and a teacher who was eight months pregnant, local official Jidapa Boonsom told Reuters.
The shooter was armed with a shotgun, a pistol, and a knife, per the BBC.
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After fleeing the scene in his car, Kamrab shot more people on the road, police said. And when he arrived at his home, he killed his wife and son before taking his own life, Jackrapat said.
With details still emerging, the motive for the attack is under investigation, though the shooter was believed to be under the influence of drugs, Jackrapat said. The former police lieutenant colonel was dismissed from the force last year for drug use, per officials, and was reportedly embroiled in a legal case relating to drug charges.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described the shooting as a “horrifying” and “shocking event.” All day care centers in the area have since been closed and children and staff sent home.
Shootings are not common in Thailand. The last reported mass shooting occurred in 2020, when a soldier killed 29 people in Nakhon Ratchasima. Also, last month, another soldier fatally shot two of his colleagues at a military facility in Bangkok.
Mass Shooting in Thailand Preschool Leaves 38 Dead, Including at Least 24 Children
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