He is a former police officer who was dismissed from his service last June for drug-related reasons – He was allegedly under the influence of drugs at the time of the attack
The death toll has risen to 38, including 22 children, from a brutal gun, rifle and knife attack at a daycare center in Thailand today, where he then shot and killed his wife and child in their home before killing himself, as announced police officers at a press conference they granted.
Police identified the attacker as a former member of their force who had been dismissed from the service last June for drug-related reasons. The man had attended a court hearing on drug charges before opening fire at the daycare, a police spokesman told ThaiPBS television. According to him, the attacker had gone to pick up his child from daycare but opened fire when he did not find him there.
The perpetrator of the massacre
The perpetrator had in his possession a nine-gauge pistol which he bought legally, as pointed out by the authorities, while for the attack it seems that he mainly used the knife. In particular, Chakrapat Wichitvaidya, a local police officer, said that eyewitnesses stated that the gunman was also holding a knife in the attack. At the same time, it is estimated that the gunman was under the influence of drugs when he invaded the daycare center located near his home.
Another Mass shooting Video From #Thailand Child Care Center , At least 38 people killed in #Shooting #Thailand #Thailand #ที่วั่วนั่ว้ายลับ #Thailand #Thailand #shooting #ที่วั่วนั่ว้ายลับ #Firing #Shotout pic.twitter.com/C0hl1kZg0H
— Harish Deshmukh (@DeshmukhHarish9) October 6, 2022
The timeline of the attack
The perpetrator, age 34 years old, opened fire at the daycare at around 12:30 local time (09:30 Greek time), a senior police officer said.
The perpetrator was worried when he arrived at the daycare, where he discovered that his child was not there and left. He then fired at passers-by and hit them with his car, said Paisan Louesbon, a police spokesman. “He started shooting, butchering, killing children in the kindergarten of Utai Sawan,” he said.
“He was already tense and when he couldn’t find his child he became even more confused and started shooting,” Paisan said, adding that he then drove home and he killed his wife and child before killing himself.
About 30 children were at the daycare when the gunman entered, fewer than usual, as heavy rains kept many people indoors, Jidappa Bonsom, a local authorities official who at the time told Reuters he worked in a nearby office.
Mass #shooting at a #childcare center in #Thailand‘s northeastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu. Initial reports indicate 38 people killed, mostly children.
Police have named a suspect, a 34-year-old former police officer.
He’s still on the run. #shooting #ที่วั่วนั่ว้ายลับ pic.twitter.com/dfsfqebTUk— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) October 6, 2022
“The attacker came around lunch time and first shot four or five staff members in the daycare,” Jidappa said. “At first, people thought it was sparklers,” she said.
“It’s really shocking. We were very scared and ran to hide we just knew it was gunshots. So many children were killed, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
The attacker then broke into a locked room where children were sleeping, Jidappa said. She said she believed the attacker killed children there with a knife, adding that a teacher who was eight months pregnant was also killed with a knife.
Videos posted on social media showed sheets covering the bodies of children lying in pools of blood in downtown Utai Sawan.
THE Prime Minister of Thailand Prayuth Chan-ocha, in his post on Facebook, he spoke of a ‘shocking’ incident, and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“I have instructed the chief of police to immediately travel to the spot to take the necessary actions and to all relevant agencies to provide immediate relief to all those affected,” the prime minister said.
Shooting incidents like today’s are rare in Thailand, even though the gun ownership rate is high compared to some other countries in the region, and there are many illegal weapons on the market. In 2020 a soldier, angered by the failure of a real estate deal, killed at least 29 people and injured 57 in an attack at four locations.
Thailand’s prime minister is expected to visit the site of the massacre tomorrow.
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
