Thailand School Shooting: Parents of 14-Year-Old Suspect Apologise to Affected Families
The gunman’s father has tendered an emotional apology to the grieving parents of a 12-year-old girl among the dead in last week’s school shooting in Thailand, as the tragedy has left many questions about how to keep children safe from violence.
The youngest victim of the shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, north-west of Bangkok, was Naphat Chaimar. Hundreds of people attended a temple in Nonthaburi province to grieve for the child, whose parents were contacted by the father of the 14-year-old boy who allegedly carried out the attack.
It is said that Nithi Yimruang knelt down before Naphat’s parents and pleaded for their forgiveness. Pongthon Chaimar, Naphat’s father, helped him up and accepted his apology, and also said that the other father was in deep grief.
The teenager is believed to have murdered his grandparents before opening fire on the school, killing six others and wounding over 30. He later went on to kill himself with the gun.
The gunman’s mother had previously apologised for her son’s actions, saying that “no one thought this would happen”. She said he was “bright and cheerful” and that she didn’t see any indications that he was planning for violence.
The teenager has been known to bring a BB gun to school before, which was picked up by a teacher, and had been interested in guns, police said. Investigators also discovered that he had been viewing violent material online.
The developments highlight the need for child protection stakeholders to identify and act on warning signs, but not to prematurely label children as dangerous. Families and schools must have easy ways to report concerns, address bullying, evaluate risk and link children to the right support.
The Education Ministry has pledged to improve school safety measures, such as the screening of students for mental health issues, specialist referrals, emergency drills and the prevention of dangerous items entering schools.
The tragedy reminds us of a key safeguarding principle: prevention is better than cure – protecting children from violence must begin before it happens, in their environment and through effective risk-management systems, not just after they have died.
