Reuters —
A Thai boy whose air gun was confiscated by his teacher last year was seen watching violent content online during a school shooting on the outskirts of Bangkok, police said Sunday, as the government promised new safety protocols for schools.
As the investigation continues into Friday’s assault, in which a 14-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his grandparents in their home, six more people at school, and then turned the gun on himself, police say the boy used social media to learn how to use a gun.
“According to interviews with witnesses, the perpetrator started showing interest in researching the use of firearms about one to two years ago,” Attapol Anusit, deputy chief of state police Region 1, told reporters.
However, the boy’s mother said she saw no signs of trouble.
“He was a bright and cheerful person,” she told Reuters, asking that her name not be published. “He was acting normal.”
She said he asked her if she had ever been bullied. “He always said no, there was nothing unusual.”
Attapol said police had interviewed 17 witnesses, and that a knife was also found in the boy’s bag, and evidence including a firearm, spent shell casings and a computer were found at the crime scene.
“A search of the computer revealed that the child had been viewing violent social media content,” the deputy said, adding there was no evidence yet that the child was practicing shooting.
Last year, a teacher said they confiscated a BB gun, a type of air rifle, that the boy brought to school. Attapol said the boy had been living with his grandparents for 12 years after his parents separated.
The Department of Education announced it will develop new safety protocols over the next three months, including mental health screening and systems to refer people at risk to specialists, training in emergency response plans, efforts to eradicate bullying and improved detection to stop items being brought into schools.
Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting since 2022 left more than 20 people dead and injured, reigniting debate over firearms regulations in Southeast Asia’s largest gun country.
The boy lives with his grandparents, and his mother said she last saw him during a recent school vacation.
“The day it happened, I didn’t know he was the shooter,” she said, adding that she texted him and tried to call him after hearing about the shooting. “I told him, if you have any problems, call me, I’m concerned, that’s it.”
She apologized for his behavior.
“We are really shocked as none of us expected something like this to happen.”
