Thai School Attack Suspect Viewed Violent Online Content

Thai police said on Aug 9 that a 14-year-old boy accused of killing eight people in a school shooting rampage outside Bangkok had watched violent content online and previously had a BB gun confiscated at school.

Investigations were continuing into the Aug 7 rampage, in which police said the boy allegedly shot dead his grandparents at home before killing another six people at his school and turning the gun on himself, according to The Straits Times. More than 20 people were injured, the report said.

Atthapol Anusit, deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 1, said police had interviewed 17 witnesses. “According to witness interviews, the perpetrator had begun showing interest in studying the use of firearms for some time, about one to two years,” he told reporters.

Police said the boy had used social media to learn how to use a firearm. Atthapol said a knife was found in the boy’s bag, while other evidence at the crime scenes included a firearm, spent cartridge cases and a personal computer.

“After examining the PC, it was found that the child had watched social media content involving violence,” Atthapol said, adding that there was no evidence yet that the boy had practiced shooting. He said a teacher confiscated a BB gun, a type of air gun, that the boy took to school in 2025.

The Ministry of Education said it would develop new school safety protocols over the next three months, including mental health screenings, referrals for at-risk people, emergency drills, anti-bullying measures and better detection of items brought into schools. The shooting was Thailand’s worst mass shooting since 2022 and has reignited debate over firearms control in South-east Asia’s largest gun-owning nation, the report said.