At 14.35 on 6 October, the Nong Bua Lamphu police station posted a report on Facebook that a former Police Sergeant, Panya Kamrab, staged a mass shooting at a pre-school child nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu's Na Klang District.
At 15.15, Matichon Online reported that the death toll was 32, among them 23 children killed inside the nursery along with two of their teachers.
Veteran reporter Sorayuth Suthassanachinda and BBC Thai later reported that at least 36 people were killed and 12 were injured. The death count eventually rose to 37.
According to Matichon Online, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat, the Royal Thai Police Chief, and Pol Gen Surachet Hakparn, the deputy Chief, and the Chief's assistant Pol Lt Gen Samran Nualma traveled to Nong Bua Lamphu to assess the situation.
Pol Gen Damrongsak told the media that the shooter was a former police officer at the Na Wang District police station in Nong Bua Lamphu who was removed from his post after being caught using seized drugs.
Many media reported Panya’s removal documents which stated that he has been addicted to drugs since school days and that his violence behavior caused other colleagues not comfortable to work with him.
Panya reportedly killed himself along with his wife and a child after committing the slaughter.
In a Facebook post discussing the incident, Amnesty International Thailand (AIT) expressed condolences to the families and friends of victims.
AIT director Piyanut Kotsan urged the Thai government to provide the families of the victims and injured persons with support and adopt measures restore public safety.
She also called upon netizens to refrain from circulating photos of the incident out of respect for the feelings of victims’ families.
Mass shootings are rare in Thailand. Those incidences which have occurred in recent years were perpetrated by individuals who served with the military or police.
On 8 February 2020, Sgt Maj Jakrapanth Thomma, a soldier in Nakhon Ratchasima District shot and killed his commanding officer before stealing guns from the armoury at the Surathampitak Military Camp and going on a shooting spree at various locations around the city.
He eventually arrived at the Terminal 21 Shopping Centre, where he opened fire indiscriminately at people inside and outside the shopping centre. Dozens of shoppers were trapped inside the centre while police and military officers attempt to gain control of the building.
The standoff, which lasted around 17 hours, ending on Sunday morning, 9 February. The attack left 30 people dead, including the gunman.
On 14 September 2022, Sgt Yongyut Mangkorngim killed three military officers and injured a fourth at Bangkok's Army Training Command Department. He was reportedly planning to kill 10 individuals but surrendered to the police.
Note: At 10.00 of 7 October 2022, Prachatai English replaced the original text with a grammartically-proven version.
