2026 Nonthaburi shootings

On 7 August 2026, a Grade 9 student carried out a school shooting at the Debsirin School in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, Thailand, killing seven people and injuring around 15 others before committing suicide. The perpetrator also shot and killed his grandparents at home in Bang Bua Thong district before the shooting.

Overview§

On 7 August 2026, a school shooting occurred at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Bang Kruai, Nonthaburi, Thailand. Patchata Yimruang, a 14-year-old student, killed six people and injured at least twenty-three before he committed suicide. Patchata also shot and killed his two grandparents in Bang Bua Thong before the shooting. The shootings were the nation's deadliest mass killing since the 2022 Nong Bua Lamphu massacre which killed thirty-eight people.

Background§

Debsirin Nonthaburi School, in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi, is a member of the Debsirin School Network, a coalition of schools headed by Debsirin School, a well-known boy's secondary school in Bangkok. Thailand has a relatively high rate of gun ownership compared with other countries in Southeast Asia.

Soi Wat Lat Pla Duk shooting§

According to an investigation, authorities found the dead bodies of the suspect's paternal grandparents at a residential estate at the Soi Wat Lat Pla Duk in Bang Bua Thong. They suspect that the perpetrator killed them before attacking the school. The perpetrator's neighbors and relatives who live nearby stated that they had not heard any gunshots prior. It was determined that around 05:00 a.m. ICT (UTC+7), the perpetrator fatally shot his grandfather in the kitchen before shooting his grandmother while she was sleeping. Both were killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. The perpetrator then boarded a school bus with a gun and a knife in his bag.

Debsirin Nonthaburi School shooting§

The second shooting occurred at the Debsirin Nonthaburi School from around 9:30 to 9:50 a.m. The student was wearing a purple physical education uniform and a black cross-body bag when he opened fire inside the school. He first started in classrooms 564 and 565 on the sixth floor of building 5, killing two teachers, then went down to the fifth floor, changed his magazine, and tried to shoot students, but the gun briefly jammed. He then descended to the fourth floor, where he shot dead the school's deputy director and secretary, before continuing to the third floor, where he shot into the Thai language teacher's lounge and several classrooms. He then went back up to the fifth floor, firing into classrooms again. He then barricaded himself inside the computer room on the third floor of the school building. At around 10:00 a.m., officers from the Plai Bang Police Station and a special operations unit cordoned off the area. Teachers and school staff evacuated students by around 10:15 a.m., while medical teams transported the injured to hospitals. At around 10:30 a.m., the assailant shot himself in the head and was still alive by the time first responders arrived, but he eventually died. At least 26 shots were fired during the attack. The police declared the situation under control at 10:30 a.m.

Victims§

Eight victims were killed and at least 23 others were injured, nine of them critically. Seven of the victims died at the scenes of the shootings: five school staff members including teachers and administrators, and the shooter's two grandparents who were found shot dead at their home. The eighth victim, a 12-year-old girl who was wounded during the school shooting, succumbed to her injuries in hospital the after day. As of 8 August, fourteen people remain hospitalised, seven of them in critical condition, while ten others were discharged. On 8 August, King Vajiralongkorn provided funeral expenses for the deceased victims' families, along with accepting the injured as patients under the royal care. The shootings were the nation's worst mass killing since the 2022 Nong Bua Lamphu massacre that killed 38 people.

Perpetrator§

The perpetrator was identified as 14-year-old Patchata Yimruang (Thai: พัชฏ ยิ้มเรือง), a Mathayom 3 (grade 9) student. According to authorities, he had been living with his grandparents. The perpetrator was described as a quiet student and was said to have been a victim of school bullying. The Straits Times reported that the day before the shooting, he had been locked in a bathroom by other students. The perpetrator allegedly told teachers who was bullying him yet no actions were taken. Police speculated that he had also been under pressure from his grandparents and teachers over his school performance, though investigators said they believed multiple factors had combined. Before the shooting, Patchata reportedly climbed onto a chair to retrieve a CZ-75 and two boxes of ammunition belonging to his grandfather from a cabinet on the second floor of his house. An inspection of his computer found five saved video clips of school shootings abroad, which he had viewed since 30 July, around a week before the incident. At Patchata's residence the police found a hanging Nazi flag, allegedly owned by his uncle.

Response§

The Debsirin Nonthaburi School suspended on-site schooling from 10 to 14 August. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sent Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee to the scene of the shooting to assess the situation. Nonthanburi governor Chettha Mosikarat also went to the site of the incident. Deputy Prime Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat announced a plan to support the mental health of students and teachers after the incident, while the Ministry of Education pledged to deploy stricter security measures at schools, especially the prevention of weapons and other dangerous items into school premises. UNICEF stated that the young age of the perpetrator reflected the need for better mental health services provided to children, along with urging the public to not share photos or footage of the incident.