Police to brief on Nonthaburi school shooting on August 9

Police are questioning teachers, students and witnesses as they seek to establish the motive behind the shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, with an official briefing on the investigation scheduled for Sunday (August 9).

Pol Col Chokchai Khanacharoen, deputy commander of Nonthaburi Provincial Police, said on Saturday that investigators would meet to consolidate information and summon teachers and students to give statements. The student’s parents were questioned on Friday and investigators will decide whether they need to be interviewed again.

Police are examining all information that could help establish a motive, including reports concerning problems at school, relationships with friends, family circumstances and gaming. Investigators have not reached a conclusion on any of those issues and will consider the information together before determining what led to the incident.

Pol Maj Gen Atthaphon Anusit, deputy commander of Provincial Police Region 1, is expected to give an official briefing summarising the case at Plai Bang Police Station on August 9.

School remains closed as police guard scene

Debsirin Nonthaburi School remained closed to outsiders on Saturday, with Nonthaburi police maintaining security around the buildings connected with the incident. Officers were rotating guard duties around Buildings 4 and 5, and unrelated people were not being allowed inside.

The rear entrance was also closed. Access was being permitted for parents of those killed or injured who needed to retrieve belongings or medication left in classrooms within the restricted area.

Teachers arrived at the school during the morning before leaving by van to visit injured students at different hospitals. Relatives of those who died were also allowed inside, including the family of one teacher who attended a traditional ritual at the school before travelling to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital.

Other relatives came to seek information about retrieving students’ belongings, while family members of injured people submitted documents concerning compensation and assistance.

Flowers laid outside school

People from the surrounding community continued to place flowers outside the school gate in memory of the students and teachers who died.

One 45-year-old resident came with his two sons to pay respects. He said his family lived nearby and that he drove past the school regularly, often stopping to allow students to cross the road on their way to classes.

He said the familiar daily scene had made the incident particularly difficult for people living in the neighbourhood, even though his own children did not attend the school. He had been at work when the shooting occurred and learnt about it afterwards.

On school safety, the resident said educational institutions may need to review measures beyond checks for dangerous items. He suggested greater attention to changes in behaviour, stress and wellbeing among students, teachers and other school personnel as part of efforts to identify problems earlier. His comments represented his personal view rather than a conclusion by investigators about the cause of the shooting.

Police, meanwhile, are continuing to gather testimony and other evidence before the August 9 briefing, when investigators are expected to present their findings on the case.