Thailand school horror: Gunman, 18, opens fire, takes hostages, what happened next

AN 18-year-old gunman who opened fire at a school in Hat Yai district, southern Thailand, on Wednesday has been detained and all hostages safely released, police said.

The suspect entered Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla Province carrying a firearm and appearing visibly agitated, according to a statement from the provincial government.

Shortly after he arrived, two to three gunshots were heard inside the school.

Authorities responded quickly to the scene.

Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau initially reported that the suspect had been killed but later clarified that he had been shot and apprehended by police.

National police confirmed that everyone at the school was safe and that the situation had been brought under control.

Videos shared by witnesses, which Reuters could not immediately verify, appear to show heavily armed police storming the three-story building as gunfire echoes.

Other footage shows students running down staircases while officers wearing helmets and bulletproof vests direct them to safety, shouting reassurances that it was safe to go home.

Gun ownership is relatively common in Thailand, and the country has experienced several high-profile violent incidents in recent years.

In 2022, a former police officer killed 36 people, including 22 children, in a gun-and-knife attack at a nursery in eastern Thailand.

Police secured the area around the school following the incident.