A gunman massacred 38 people at a Thai daycare, including 2-year-olds. He was fired, police say

According to Thai officials, dozens of people were slain in a mass shooting at a daycare center in the country’s northeast.

According to the Thai news source Khaosod Online, a shooter entered a daycare center in the Na Klang district of Nong Bua Lamphu province, opened fire, and killed many individuals before fleeing.

As of approximately 8 p.m. BBC and Bloomberg reported that, as of 6:00 p.m. local time, the death toll stood at 38.

A regional public affairs office spokeswoman told Bloomberg that 23 of the deceased were children, in addition to two teachers and one police officer.

According to Reuters, local police superintendent Chakkraphat Wichitvaida told Thai Rath TV that victims are as young as two years old.

According to the BBC, the shooter was a former police officer who was just fired. During the incident, the man shot and stabbed both children and adults, according to the Thai police, who spoke to the BBC.

Separately, Khaosod Online said that the gunman fled the scene in a white pickup truck.

Former policeman Panya Kamrab was depicted on a wanted poster with a face that matched reports identifying him as Panya Kamrab.

In this photo published by the Thailand Criminal Investigations Bureau, CIB, a suspect in the attack in Nongbua Lamphu, northern Thailand, on October 6, 2022, is depicted.

Thailand CIB Image via AP

In a Facebook post, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described the tragedy as “terrible” and encouraged all agencies to assist the wounded immediately.

In Thailand, possessing an illegal handgun carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, hence mass shootings are uncommon. They are not, however, unheard of. A furious soldier killed 29 people after a 16-hour shooting spree in 2020.

This story is progressing. Please revisit this page for updates.