A Thailand school shooting has left eight people dead after a teenage student allegedly killed his grandparents before opening fire at a secondary school in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok.

According to AFP, as reported by Channels Television, the suspect first used his grandfather’s handgun to kill both grandparents before travelling to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he fatally shot three teachers and three students.

Authorities said 15 other students were injured while fleeing the attack, although none suffered gunshot wounds. Emergency responders and police rushed to the school as parents scrambled to collect their children, while traumatised students and staff gathered outside.

One Grade 12 student, Pawarisa Maylissa, said she feared for her life after hearing repeated gunshots from the floor above her classroom.

The teenage suspect, who was also a student at the school, later died. Authorities have yet to confirm whether he was shot by police or died by suicide, with conflicting reports emerging from local media.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the tragedy as devastating, saying it should never have happened and questioning how such an attack could occur in the country.

Thailand has one of Southeast Asia’s highest rates of civilian gun ownership, with an estimated 10 million firearms in circulation. Despite previous pledges to tighten gun control, the country has experienced several deadly shootings in recent years.

In February, a teenager used a stolen police pistol to kill a school principal and injure two students in southern Thailand. In 2022, an ex-police officer carried out one of the country’s deadliest mass killings, murdering 36 people, including 24 children, at a nursery.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into Friday’s attack.