A teenage suspect killed his grandparents before shooting dead at least 6 more people at a school near Bangkok on Friday, police said.
The suspect first shot dead his grandparents using his grandfather's handgun before going to Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, where he killed 3 teachers and 3 students, the Royal Thai Police said in a statement.
Dozens of police officers and emergency responders gathered outside the school as parents rushed to pick up their children. Tearful students and staff comforted one another outside the campus.
"I was afraid that I would die, and I was scared that I wouldn't be able to pursue my dreams," said Pawarisa Maylissa, a Grade 12 student who hopes to attend medical school.
She said: "I heard many gunshots very loudly because it seemed the suspect was on the floor directly above us. I could even hear bullets hitting the floor."
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said 15 students were injured while trying to flee the scene but were not struck by gunfire, local broadcaster Thai PBS reported.
The shooter was identified as a teenage student of the school and was also reported dead, according to local media reports citing authorities.
Some reports said police officers shot and killed the suspect, while others said he died by suicide.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at Government House in Bangkok: "It's such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?"
Photos published by local media showed the suspect wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, with several bullet casings visible on the ground.
An AFP journalist saw about a dozen mental health workers arrive at the school, where traffic had nearly come to a standstill.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with an estimated 10 million firearms in circulation — roughly 1 for every 7 people.
Previous pledges to tighten gun laws have not prevented repeated shooting incidents.
In February, Thai police shot and arrested a teenager who opened fire at a school in southern Thailand, killing the principal and injuring 2 students.
The suspect had used a police officer's weapon in that attack.
A local police chief said at the time that the suspect had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment in December before being discharged.
Police said the teenager stabbed a police officer, stole the officer's 9mm pistol shortly before the incident, and used it to carry out the attack.
