Thailand recoiled in horror Thursday after at least 36 people were killed, at least 24 of them children, in what is thought to be the country’s bloodiest event at a child care center in northeastern Thailand.
Authorities immediately started a manhunt for the accused assailant, who was eventually identified as Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former police officer, by Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). He was suspended from police service earlier this year due to drug possession accusations, according to Thai Royal Police.
Among the fatalities are Panya’s wife and stepson, whom detectives believe he murdered before killing himself.
According to a local police chief, his 2-year-old stepson was registered at the daycare he assaulted on Thursday, although he was not there at the time of the crime.
“(Panya) went to look for his two-year-old son, but the boy was not there … so he started shooting as well as stabbing people at the nursery,” police spokesperson Maj. General Paisan Luesomboon said.
Panya then “managed to get into a room where 24 kids were sleeping together,” killing all but one of them.
“He also used a knife to stab both children and staff at the center,” Paisan said.
One of the center’s instructors detailed a gruesome sight to local media, stating that the assailant entered the facility about midday, when two other staff members were eating lunch.
“I suddenly heard the sound just sounded like fire crackers. So I looked back [and] the two staffs just collapsed on the floor,” the teacher said.
“Then he pulled another gun from his waist…
I didn’t expect he would also kill the kids,” they said.
According to the instructor, the perpetrator was also carrying a second gun and a knife, which he used to kill another teacher who was eight months pregnant fatally.
According to one eyewitness, the attacker was on his way to pick up his child. He “didn’t say anything” and “shot at the door while the children were sleeping,” she said.
According to Paisan, the majority of the deaths were caused by “stabbing wounds.”
“Everything happened so quickly. He was slicing the knife, not using the pistol, but stabbing in there. “It’s all done with a knife,” she explained.
Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said the offender “mostly used a knife” to kill the youngsters.
“Then he got out and began killing everyone he saw along the route with a rifle or a knife until he reached home,” Damrongsak explained. “We surrounded the house and discovered that he had committed suicide in his home.”
“Then he got out and started killing anyone he met along the way with a gun or the knife until he got home,” said Damrongsak. “We surrounded the house and then found that he committed suicide in his home.”
The province is located roughly 540 kilometers (nearly 335 miles) northeast of Bangkok and is famed for its calm and quiet.
According to a statement from his office, Prayut will fly to the province on Friday to meet with victims’ relatives.
Panya was set to obtain a decision in his continuing case for accused methamphetamine possession on Oct. 7, according to Thai Royal Police.
Police also discovered a Yaba tablet at his home during an earlier undated check, they claimed. Yaba is a methamphetamine and caffeine mixture in the form of a tablet that is typically broken and smoked, and is known locally as “crazy medicine.”
Charges of “Category 1” drug possession resulted in his suspension from police duties in January.
Compared to other Southeast Asian countries, gun ownership in Thailand is rather high.
According to 2017 figures from the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, there were more than 10.3 million civilian-owned weapons in Thailand, or around 15 guns for every 100 persons (SAS). According to SAS, around 6.2 million of those weapons are officially registered.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s 2019 Global Burden of Disease database, Thailand is the Southeast Asian country with the second-highest number of gun murders behind the Philippines.
UNICEF said it was “shocked” by the incident and offered its sympathies to the families impacted.It condemned the attack, saying: “No child should be a target or witness of violence any where, anytime,” adding, “Early childhood development centers, schools and all learning spaces must be safe havens for young children to learn, play and grow during their most critical years.”
In a tweet, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said she was “shocked to hear of the horrific events,” and said that her “thoughts are with all those affected and the first responders.”
“The United Kingdom stands with the Thai people at this dreadful moment,” she added.