Thai School Shooter Researched Weapons for Years

Thai police have released new information about a 14-year-old boy who carried out a shooting at a school near Bangkok on Friday. During the attack, he shot and killed his grandparents at home, then killed six more people at the school before turning the gun on himself. More than 20 people were injured.

Investigators said the teenager had been interested in firearms for one to two years and had been searching for instructions on how to use them on social media. They found violent content on his computer but so far have no evidence that he had practiced shooting.

During a search, police seized a firearm, ammunition, a computer and a knife that the boy had in his school bag. Last year, a teacher had already confiscated an air rifle that he had brought to school. Following his parents' divorce, he had been living with his grandparents for the past 12 years.

Following the tragedy, the Thai ministry of education announced that it would implement new safety measures within three months. These will include psychological screenings of students, better identification of at-risk individuals, crisis drills, bullying prevention and more thorough checks to prevent dangerous items from entering schools.

(Reuters, est)