BANGKOK – A fatal shooting in Suphan Buri province has left three members of the same family dead and one more hurt, triggering a police manhunt and forcing local schools to close for safety.
The shooting took place Friday morning in Village Moo 2, Ban Don, U Thong district, sending shockwaves through the community and sparking fresh debate about gun violence and calls for tougher gun laws in Thailand.
Pol Maj Maneenanthiya Ketkaew, an investigator with Srayaisom police, said the suspect fired into a home, shooting and killing two women and a man, all relatives, and leaving another person with serious injuries. Police arrived around 9 a.m. and found the victims had died at the scene.
The shooter escaped, and police have begun a large-scale search to capture him.
Wat Yang Sawang Arom School, just steps from where the shooting happened, quickly evacuated students and teachers after fearing the suspect might target the school while looking for his son.
ThaiPBS reported that officials acted fast, moving everyone to safety. No one at the school was hurt, but all local schools are closed until police catch the suspect.
This shooting is the most recent in a series of deadly gun attacks in Thailand. In October 2022, a former officer, Panya Khamrab, killed 36 people, including 24 children, during an attack at a daycare in Nong Bua Lamphu province before taking his own life.
That tragedy, one of the worst in Thai history, involved both gunfire and stabbings. In February 2020, a soldier in Nakhon Ratchasima killed 29 people at a mall before police shot him dead.
More recently, in October 2023, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed three people and injured five others at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok, showing how vulnerable public places can be.
Thailand has one of Southeast Asia’s highest civilian gun ownership rates, with about 10.34 million guns in circulation, but only 6.22 million of those are legally registered. The country ranks second in the region for gun-related killings, according to research from the University of Washington.
While mass shootings are not common, recent incidents have fuelled calls for stricter controls. After the 2022 massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu, former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered a review of gun laws and a crackdown on illegal weapons.
Still, critics say illegal guns are easy to get, and rules are often ignored or worked around with bribes.
The Suphan Buri shooting has made the call for tougher gun control even louder. “This shows we need stronger gun laws and better mental health support,” said a local community leader who asked not to be named. “We can’t keep losing lives like this.”
Police have not shared details about the suspect’s motive or mental health, but the case has already started a new round of talks about family conflict and gun access.
Police have now stepped up security at schools and public places across Suphan Buri. The provincial government is helping the victims’ families, and mental health teams are at work in the community. People are being asked to stay alert and report any tips about the suspect’s location.
The Chiang Rai Times will keep following this story and share updates as more details are released.
