Former Thai lawmaker arrested after shooting at government office kills one

A man was arrested Monday following a shooting at a government office outside Bangkok that killed one person and injured another, days after a student opened fire at his school and family home in the same province, killing at least eight people.

The shooting occurred around 11 am at the offices of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation, according to the provincial public relations department, which said the suspect, identified as Chalong Riewraeng, a former lawmaker, was arrested.

Thongchai Yenprasert, chief executive of the organisation and believed by police to have been the target, died from critical wounds at a hospital after being shot in the face and neck. His driver was shot in the arm and is in stable condition, officials said.

Regional police commander Wattana Yeejeen said the suspect had admitted to the shooting and that the motive is believed to be personal.

Chalong told reporters at a local police station that he had been arguing with Thongchai over money he had lent him. He said he followed Thongchai to his car before drawing his weapon, adding that he had not intended to shoot him, but that Thongchai's driver also drew a gun and pointed it at him, prompting him to open fire.

"I wanted to apologise to the people of Nonthaburi," he said. "I had no intention. We were friends and I thought we could talk it out, but he wouldn't talk to me."

The incident drew particular attention as it came just days after a 14-year-old student allegedly killed at least eight people in a shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School and his home on Friday, before apparently taking his own life. A 12-year-old schoolgirl and five school staff were killed in the attack at the school, while the boy also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at his family home earlier that morning, officials said.

Atthapol Anusit, deputy regional police commander, said Sunday that police had interviewed several witnesses but had not yet determined the motive for that attack. He said the boy appeared to have faced several problems involving his family and school.

Police investigation of the boy's electronic devices found that he had consumed violent content on social media and had a search history indicating an interest in firearms dating back one to two years, Atthapol said. Witnesses told police the boy had brought a BB gun to school last year, which was later confiscated by a teacher, he said.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and far surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbours. A 2017 study by Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org found civilian gun ownership in Thailand stood at about 15.1 guns per 100 people, compared with less than one per 100 in neighbouring Malaysia.

Thailand recorded 3.49 deaths by firearms per 100,000 people, according to 2023 data published by World Population Review well behind parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, but relatively high for Asia, with only the Philippines higher in Southeast Asia.

While shootings involving indiscriminate killings are uncommon in Thailand, the country has seen an uptick in high-profile shooting deaths in recent years. In February, a 17-year-old stole a gun from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, briefly taking people hostage in a two-hour attack that killed one person and wounded two others. A 14-year-old boy was accused of a 2023 shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall.

(Sourced through PTI)