Shooting incident near Bangkok government office raises concerns
BANGKOK — A gunman was arrested after firing shots at a local government office on the outskirts of Thailand’s capital on Monday, officials said, just days after a teenager’s killing spree at a school in the same province reignited debate over gun control, reports BritPanorama.
The suspect, a former lawmaker, fired at a senior provincial official and his driver, according to Major General Dejrapee Kongdee, the police commander of Nonthaburi, which borders Bangkok.
“There were two people wounded, who have been sent to hospital for treatment,” Dejrapee informed.
Thailand has been recovering from a 14-year-old boy’s rampage on Friday — first at his home and then at Debsirin Nonthaburi School — that left nine people dead, including the gunman, and over 20 wounded, marking the country’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly four years.
Thai schoolchildren returned to their classrooms on Monday, with some undergoing metal detector checks, as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated plans to tighten gun control in the aftermath of Friday’s shooting.
At Debsirin School in Bangkok, a sister institution to where Friday’s shooting occurred, authorities installed metal detectors and enhanced security measures as students resumed classes after the weekend.
School director Withan Promsintusak noted that officials acted promptly by introducing weapons screening to reassure parents and safeguard students.
“We never imagined that a school, which should be the safest place, is where something like this would happen,” he remarked.
Thidarat Songrat, a 54-year-old grandmother of a student, emphasized that weapons screening is essential, as schools cannot determine if students are carrying dangerous objects without proper measures.
In the wake of Friday’s shooting, Thailand’s Education Ministry announced plans to develop new school safety protocols over the next three months, which will include mental health screenings, emergency response drills, anti-bullying measures, and improved detection of weapons and prohibited items.
Additionally, Anutin ordered stricter enforcement against individuals carrying firearms in public and stated that police would establish checkpoints as part of a crackdown, which would involve tightening regulations concerning the possession, carrying, and use of guns.
“No one has the right to carry a firearm, especially in a public place,” Anutin told reporters, adding that claiming a weapon was for self-defense is not a valid justification.
Thailand has an estimated 10.3 million firearms in civilian possession, which equates to around 15 guns per 100 residents, the highest rate in Southeast Asia by a considerable margin, according to a 2017 estimate by the Small Arms Survey.
The current licensing regime lacks mental health screenings for prospective gun owners, permits individuals as young as 20 to legally hold firearms, and does not require regular reassessment for existing license holders, as highlighted by experts.
The ongoing analysis of the shooting incidents underscores the critical need for effective gun control measures and societal reflection on safety within schools.
