Gunman Detained After Hostage Incident at School in Southern Thailand

A gunman attacked Patongprathankiriwat School in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, taking students and teachers hostage. Police detained the 18-year-old suspect and released all hostages. Reports say a student and a teacher were injured, and the suspect was also shot. Authorities are investigating, amid concerns about gun violence in Thailand.

A gunman opened fire at a school in Songkhla Province in southern Thailand on Wednesday, leaving several people injured and causing widespread alarm in the community. According to a police official, three individuals were injured during the incident. The situation escalated quickly as the 18-year-old suspect entered Patongprathankiriwat School in the town of Hat Yai and took multiple students and teachers hostage, prompting a swift response from local authorities.
Deputy Superintendent Wichian Soboon told Reuters that the perpetrator had been detained and that all hostages were safely released. He confirmed that a student and a teacher sustained injuries in the attack, while other reports indicated that the suspect was also wounded after being shot by police during the confrontation. The Songkhla provincial government issued a statement presenting a conflicting account, noting that there had been no casualties, but acknowledging that “about two to three gunshots were heard” as the gunman entered the school premises.
The incident has once again highlighted concerns about gun violence in Thailand, a country where access to firearms and violent attacks are not uncommon. In a tragic precedent, a former police officer carried out a gun-and-knife attack in 2022, killing 36 people, including 22 children, at a nursery in the eastern part of the country. Authorities in Songkhla are continuing their investigation into the motive behind the attack and reviewing security measures at schools to prevent similar incidents in the future.