A police officer in eastern Thailand allegedly shot dead his wife at the preschool where she worked as a teacher before engaging in an 18-hour standoff with fellow officers, according to local officials.
Incident at Nongplalai Municipal Kindergarten
Tatsapong Tongthat, an officer at the Bang Lamung station in Chonburi province, allegedly killed his wife on Wednesday morning inside a building at the Nongplalai Municipal Kindergarten, about 93 miles south-east of Bangkok, the provincial government said.
After the shooting, authorities said he fled to his home, where police surrounded the property. He remained there until surrendering on Thursday following an 18-hour standoff.
Pupils safe, classes suspended
All 44 pupils at the school were unharmed and evacuated with other teachers after the shooting. Classes were suspended until Friday as a safety precaution, officials said.
Broader gun violence concerns
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of school safety and gun violence in Thailand after a 14-year-old boy killed eight people and injured more than 20 others in a shooting at his secondary school and family home in Nonthaburi province, which borders Bangkok, on August 7.
The teenager had shot dead his grandparents at home using a handgun owned by his grandfather before heading to Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where he opened fire on teachers and pupils. He apparently took his own life after the shooting.
Another 14-year-old boy was arrested on September 2 after firing several shots at his school in Kamphaeng Phet province, 120 miles north of Bangkok. No one was injured.
Calls for tighter controls on firearms have intensified, and the national government has ordered a review of gun regulations, including a suspension of new permits to purchase firearms and a review of existing permits.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia despite relatively restrictive gun laws. While mass shootings remain rare, the country has seen an uptick in high-profile attacks in recent years.
