24 kids among 36 killed in shooting at Thailand nursery, gunman shoots self

Oct 06, 2022

At least 36 people, including children, have been killed in a mass shooting at a children's day-care centre in Nongbua Lamphu town, a northeastern province of Thailand, a police spokesperson said on Thursday. The gunman shot himself soon after.

Police said the victims included 24 children as well as adults.

"There are at least 34 dead but details were still coming in," Deputy Police spokesperson Archon Kraitong told Reuters.

In a video circulating on the internet, families of victims can be seen mourning the deaths of their loved ones. Some people can be seen escorting the injured ones to the ambulance. Another video shows police looking for the shooter.

ABOUT THE GUNMAN

According to sources, the gunman was an ex-police officer. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha had earlier ordered a manhunt for the shooter, who was armed with a gun and knife when he stormed into the nursery.

A handout from the Facebook page of Thailand's Central Investigation Bureau shows a picture of former policeman Panya Khamrab, who is believed to have killed at least 34 people in a nursery in the northern Thai province of Nong Bua Lam Phu.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand even though the rate of gun ownership is high compared with some other countries in the region, and illegal weapons are common.

In 2020, a soldier angry over a property deal gone sour killed at least 29 people and wounded 57 in a rampage that spanned four locations.