At Least 34 Dead In Mass Shooting At Daycare Center in Thailand

Bangkok, The Gulf Observer: At least 34 people including 22 children were killed on Thursday after a former police officer opened fire inside a daycare center in Thailand, in a rare incident of mass gun violence in the country.

Local police confirmed that at least 12 other people were injured in the shooting, including eight in serious condition.

The shooting took place just after noon at a daycare center in the town of Uthai Sawan, where around 30 children were present.

Police have identified the gunman as Panya Khamrab, a 34-year-old former police officer who was recently dismissed from the force on drug possession charges.

After the shooting, Panya reportedly fled the scene using a white pickup truck, prompting police to urge locals to remain vigilant.

Local media reports say the gunman returned home after the shooting rampage and proceeded to kill his wife and child before turning the gun on himself.

Mass shooting incidents in Thailand are rare despite the country’s more permissive gun ownership laws, compared to its neighbors in South East Asia.