A former Thai police officer armed with a gun and a knife killed not less than 37 folks in northeast Thailand on Thursday, most of them youngsters at a nursery, in one of many kingdom’s deadliest mass killings.
Following the assault, gunman Panya Khamrab went residence and killed his spouse and little one earlier than taking his personal life, police stated.
Armed with a shotgun, pistol and knife, Panya opened fireplace on the childcare centre in northeastern Nong Bua Lam Phu province, at about 12:30 pm native time.
Nationwide Police Chief Damrongsak Kittiprapat advised a information convention the gunman had killed 37 folks, together with 23 youngsters and his family, and wounded 12 others.
Nanthicha Punchum, appearing chief of the nursery, described harrowing scenes because the attacker barged into the constructing in rural Uthai Sawan district.
“There have been some employees consuming lunch exterior the nursery and the attacker parked his automotive and shot 4 of them useless,” she advised AFP.
“The shooter smashed down the door along with his leg after which got here inside and began slashing the kids’s heads with a knife.”
Footage after the incident confirmed distraught dad and mom weeping in a shelter exterior the nursery, a yellow single-storey constructing set in a backyard.
An armed police officer standing guard as relations of the victims of a mass taking pictures collect at a childcare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeastern Thailand. The age vary of the kids on the daycare centre is from two to 5 years, an area official stated. Credit score: Ruamkatanyu Basis
The 34-year-old gunman was a former police sergeant suspended in January and sacked in June for drug use, Damrongsak advised reporters.
“So far as I do know he was due in courtroom tomorrow for a drug-related trial,” he stated.
He stated the attacker was in a manic state nevertheless it was unknown whether or not it was drug-related.
“What occurred at the moment will likely be a lesson to forestall this taking place once more sooner or later,” he stated.
Damrongsak stated the pistol used had been bought legally and was a privately owned weapon, not police property.
Witness Paweena Purichan, 31, stated the attacker was well-known within the space as a drug addict.
She advised AFP she encountered Panya driving erratically as he fled the scene.
“The attacker rammed a motorcycle into two individuals who have been injured. I sped off to get away from him,” she stated.
“There was blood in every single place.”
Emergency employees examine coffins containing the our bodies of victims at a hospital in Udon Thani, Thailand. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha says the rampage is a “stunning incident”. Supply: Getty / Lauren DeCicca
Video Paweena posted on-line confirmed a girl mendacity injured in a roadside bush after apparently being knocked off her motorcycle by Panya.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha ordered the nationwide police chief to “fast-track an investigation” and stated he would journey to the scene of the assault on Friday.
“This could not occur. This totally mustn’t occur,” Prayut advised reporters.
“I’m extraordinarily sorry for many who have been injured and misplaced (their family members).”
A authorities spokesman stated flags would fly at half-mast on Friday to honour these killed within the assault.
Thailand types a part of Southeast Asia’s so-called Golden Triangle, which has lengthy been an notorious hotspot for the trafficking and abuse of medicine.
Surging provides of methamphetamine have despatched avenue costs crashing in Thailand to all-time lows, in keeping with the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crime.
The White Home stated the US is “horrified” by the taking pictures, whereas UN Secretary Basic Antonio Guterres stated he was shocked and saddened and expressed his condolences to the households of the victims.
Mass shootings uncommon
The mass killing comes lower than a month after a military officer shot useless two colleagues at a army coaching base within the capital Bangkok.
Whereas Thailand has excessive charges of gun possession, mass shootings are uncommon.
However up to now yr, there have been not less than two different circumstances of taking pictures murders by serving troopers, in keeping with native media.
In 2020, in one of many kingdom’s deadliest incidents in recent times, a soldier gunned down 29 folks in a 17-hour rampage and wounded scores extra earlier than he was shot useless by commandos.
That mass taking pictures, linked to a debt dispute between gunman Sergeant-Main Jakrapanth Thomma and a senior officer, triggered public anger in opposition to the army.
The soldier was in a position to steal assault rifles from a military depot earlier than embarking on his killing spree, posting stay updates on social media as he did so.
Army high brass have been at pains to painting the killer as a rogue soldier.
“I’m shocked to listen to of the horrific occasions in Thailand this morning. My ideas are with all these affected and the primary responders,” British Prime Minister Liz Truss tweeted.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted it was “unattainable to grasp the heartbreak of this horrific information”.
The White Home and the United Nations Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres each expressed shock on the assault and despatched condolences to the victims’ households.
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