MGR Online — Police have already called in 16 witnesses for questioning and are coordinating with a Thai-language teacher to provide information. Investigators are rushing to trace the origin of the ammunition after friends of the perpetrator revealed he enjoyed playing airsoft. A detective unit has gone to inspect a shooting range in Bang Bua Thong district. Police confirm the bullets used were live rounds, and the death toll remains at 8.
Today (8 Aug.) at Bang Pang Police Station, Nonthaburi Province, Police Colonel Chokchai Khana Charoen, Deputy Commander of the Nonthaburi Provincial Police, disclosed the progress of the investigation into the school shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School. He said police had called in both teachers and students to provide information. Initially, more than 20 witnesses need to be questioned; 16 have been interviewed so far, consisting of approximately 6–7 classmates and fellow students, with the remainder being teachers.
As for the Thai-language teacher who has been identified as potentially connected to an issue currently under investigation, that teacher has not yet come in to provide information. Police are in the process of coordinating for the teacher to meet with the investigating officer. At the same time, police are urgently tracing the origin of the ammunition — specifically where it came from — after friends of the perpetrator told investigators that he enjoyed playing airsoft. Authorities are therefore looking further into whether he had any prior experience or practice with firearms, or whether this was his first time using a real weapon.
Police confirmed that the bullets used in the attack were live ammunition, not blanks or practice rounds. As for the rounds found remaining in the perpetrator's bag, 34 cartridges were recovered out of a total of 98, meaning the rest had already been fired. In addition, a detective unit visited shooting ranges in Bang Bua Thong district to determine whether the perpetrator had ever trained there, but preliminary findings have not turned up any record of him having used those facilities.
Regarding the perpetrator's father and mother, police questioned them on 7 Aug. If any outstanding issues arise or additional information comes to light, they will be called in for questioning again. Nonetheless, the number of fatalities currently remains at 8.
