18-year-old opens fire at Thailand school, at least two injured

An 18-year-old gunman opened fire at a school in Thailand’s Hat Yai district on Wednesday afternoon, injuring at least two people and taking a female staff member hostage, Thai Enquirer reported.

The shooting reportedly took place around 4.45 pm (local time) at Prathan Khiriwat School in the Patong subdistrict. While initial reports suggested multiple casualties, authorities have not confirmed the total number of injured.

Police identified and detained the suspect as Khem, 18, freeing the hostages, another report claimed.

The suspect allegedly seized an M4 rifle from police personnel and fled into the school premises, where he began firing, as per the Thai Enquirer report.

As of 5.36 pm, the school director and one student were reported to be seriously injured. The suspect later took a female school staff member hostage inside a school building, stated the report.

Report cited witnesses saying that the gunman was searching for a teacher who had previously disciplined his younger sister, a student at the school, and had threatened violence if the teacher did not meet him.

This comes hours after nine people were killed in a mass shooting allegedly by a person, possibly a woman, who committed suicide in a mining town in British Columbia, Canada, according to officials. 

The area’s federal police Chief Superintendent Ken Floyd said on Tuesday night (local time) that seven people were found dead in a local high school in Tumbler Ridge and two others in a home. 

The alleged shooter was discovered dead in the school, he said during a virtual news conference.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)