Thailand mass shooting: Who was Panya Khamrab, the ex-cop who killed 34 people?
At least 34 people including 22 children were killed after an ex-cop opened fire at a day-care centre in Thailand on Thursday. The gunman has been identified as Panya Khamrab, a 34-year-old former police officer who was recently dismissed from the force on drug possession charges.
FollowAt least 34 people, including 22 children, were murdered in a mass shooting in the northeastern province of Thailand on Thursday. Panya Khamrab, the shooter, was a former police officer. He was armed with a rifle and a knife when he stormed into a day-care centre in northeast Thailand, killing at least 30 people, including children, before killing himself and his family, according to authorities.
According to police colonel Jakkapat Vijitraithaya, the assailant was a former police lieutenant colonel who was fired from the force last year owing to drug usage.
According to reports, Khamrab, equipped with a shotgun, a handgun, and a knife, opened fire on a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lam Phu province at 12:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) before leaving the scene in a vehicle.
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According to investigators, he first shot four or five staff members, including a teacher who was eight months pregnant, before gunning down at least 23 children and leaving. To find him, a manhunt was initiated.
Khamrab allegedly drove back home and killed his wife and kid before killing himself shortly after the incident. The gunman's intentions remain unknown, and more information is anticipated.
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At least 22 children were among the dead in the mass killing in the town of Utthai Sawan. Some victims aged as young as two were attacked as they slept. A dozen people who were injured have been taken to Nong Bua Lamphu district hospital.
Despite the high percentage of gun ownership relative to certain other nations in the region and the prevalence of illegal firearms, mass shootings are uncommon in Thailand. In a four-location shooting spree in 2020, a soldier enraged over a property deal gone bad killed at least 29 individuals and injured 57 more.
