- A gunman killed a Thai official inside a local government office outside Bangkok on Monday, authorities said, days after a school shooting in the same province reignited debate over gun control.
- Police said the suspect, former lawmaker Chalong Riewrang, fired at the chairman of the Provincial Administrative Organization in Nonthaburi because of a disagreement over borrowed money.
- The official later died of his wounds at Nonthaburi’s Phra Nang Klao Hospital, according to its director Dr. Sakol Sookprome.
- Friday's school shooting in the same province reignited debate over gun control.
- Police Lieutenant General Wattana Yijin said the motive was personal, and the provincial official's driver was also wounded but is not in a critical state.
- Following the shooting, Thailand’s Education Ministry said it will develop new school safety protocols over the next three months, including mental health screenings, emergency response drills, and improved detection of weapons.
- In a statement while in police custody, Chalong said he had gone to confront the victim over a long-standing dispute but the latter declined to talk, and when the victim drove away, Chalong fired.
A gunman killed a local Thai official in Nonthaburi on Monday, just days after a devastating school shooting in the same province. The suspect, former lawmaker Chalong Riewrang, was arrested following a personal dispute over borrowed money.2
Police Lieutenant General Wattana Yijin stated, “The motive was personal,” adding that the provincial official’s driver was also wounded but is not in critical condition. The official succumbed to his injuries at Nonthaburi’s Phra Nang Klao Hospital, according to hospital director Dr. Sakol Sookprome.35
In a statement, Chalong admitted to confronting the victim over a long-standing dispute, saying, “But when he was driving away, he pulled a gun. I fired.” This incident has occurred amidst national turmoil following a school shooting on Friday, where a 14-year-old boy killed nine people, including himself, in Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly four years.
In response to the recent violence, Thai schoolchildren returned to classrooms on Monday with increased security measures, including metal detectors. Prime Minister reiterated intentions to tighten gun controls, while the Education Ministry plans to develop new safety protocols over the next three months, focusing on mental health screenings and emergency response drills.
“Police said the motive was personal, stemming from a dispute over borrowed money, and the official's driver was wounded but not critically. Thailand's Education Ministry plans new school safety protocols over three months, including mental health screenings and emergency drills.”
