Thai PM vows to introduce stricter gun laws after eight killed in shooting
Thailand’s prime minister has vowed to introduce new gun control laws following a shooting by a teenager on the outskirts of Bangkok that left eight people dead and 22 injured.
Fourteen people remain in hospital, seven of whom are in a critical condition.
The 14-year-old killed his grandparents at the home they shared before travelling to Debsirin School in Nonthaburi, where he had been a student. There, he killed five teachers before taking his own life. Later, Thai media reported that a student had also died from their injuries.
Speaking after the attack, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he planned to introduce laws that restrict the carrying of firearms in public.
I was standing in front of my teacher when she was shot, Thai pupil says
The new legislation will only allow government officials on duty to carry guns.
Police Col Thadsakorn Konthong said that the gun and bullets used in the attack belonged to the teen’s grandfather, with an initial inspection finding signs that the firearm had been searched for inside the grandfather’s bedroom.
International and local media have reported that the gun was legally registered and had a permit.
