Thailand; A Rampage At a Child Care Center In Thailand Kills At Least 36 People

(CTN News) – Thailand At least 36 people, most of them children, were killed in a shooting and slashing rampage by a disgraced former police officer in northeastern Thailand Thursday.

 The rampage began at a day care center and ended at his own home where he killed his family and himself.

The attacks began at approximately 12:30 p.m. in Nong Bua Lamphu province, approximately 330 miles northeast of Bangkok.

The suspected gunman, identified as a former police officer Panya Kamrap, drove off shooting randomly at people on the street after killing 19 boys, three girls, and two adults at the day care center.

Before killing himself, the suspect drove home and killed his wife and son. According to police spokesman Archayon Kraithong, at least 37 people were killed in the attack, which occurred in one of the poorest regions of Thailand.

Nanthicha Punchum, acting head of the nursery at the center, told AFP that she saw the attacker barge into the building

As the attack took place, there were some staff members eating lunch outside the nursery when the attacker parked his car and shot four of them. The shooter smashed the door with his leg and then entered the building and began slashing.”

In honor of the victims of the attack, the Thai government has announced that flags will fly at half-mast on Friday.

A statement from the White House said the entire nation was horrified by the shooting and offered condolences to the families affected.

Suspect had been fired from police force, faced drug charges

Panya, 34, was apparently under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack, according to Sukwimol. He was expelled from the police force in June and charged with possession of methamphetamine pills.

The mother of the gunman told Torsak Sukwimol that her son had gone to court on Thursday morning to hear about his drug case.

 Torsak quoted the mother as saying that after he left the court, he started feeling paranoid, took some drugs and looked stressed out.

Photos, videos from scene reveal horrors of attack

The images of the scene posted online showed sleeping mats scattered around a preschool room with blood smeared on the floor, alphabet pictures and other colorful decorations on the walls.

As frantic family members wept and watched outside the nursery school building, ambulances stood by while police and medical personnel walked in the schoolyard.

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