Thailand has suspended firearms licences after a school shooting last week, which also saw the cremation of the teenage attacker and his grandparents.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated he has directed the interior ministry and police to cease issuing licences for possessing, purchasing, and carrying firearms. He also called for “tighter controls and decisive penalties.”
The shooting occurred on Friday when a 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents at their Nonthaburi home before proceeding to his school, where he killed six more people and then himself. The white caskets of the grandparents were laid out at the Tem Rak Samakkhi Buddhist temple on Tuesday, alongside their portraits, ahead of their cremation. The boy’s smaller casket was placed nearby at the same temple.
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting. Police reported on Sunday that the boy had watched violent videos online and had previously brought an air gun to school. Officials had also stated he faced academic-related stress, and a classmate mentioned he was bullied.