15 year old schoolboy opens fire, injuring 2 rival students in Buriram

A 15 year old schoolboy opened fire at a temple near his school in the Isaan province of Buriram, injuring two rival students. The victims are in a stable condition.

Officers from Nongki Police Station were alerted to the temple shooting at Wat Mai Chai Mongkhon at about 12.30pm yesterday, March 6. Police arrived at the scene with the Nongki Rescue Foundation and found two injured schoolboys in the temple’s main hall.

The injured victims were identified as a 16 year old Ratchanon and 16 year old Arthit. Ratchanon was shot once in his back while Arthit was shot four times in his leg and body. The two were rushed to Nongki Hospital. The Thai News Agency reported today, March 7, that the teenagers’ condition were stable.

The gunman was a 15 year old boy called Siricharnchai. The three studied at the same school near the temple. Siricharnchai confessed to the shooting to a teacher and claimed that the two victims began the fight.

Siricharnchai explained that he and the injured students had engaged in a long dispute and often resorted to shouting at each other to stir up anger when they met. On the incident day, Siricharnchai claimed that Ratchanon and Arthit raised a middle finger and shouted at him.

“I hate you! Meet at the temple if you got guts!”

Siricharnchai said he agreed to meet them with a gun in his backpack. Siricharnchai claimed that Ratchanon tried to attack him so he shot him once. Arthit attempted to flee the scene so Siricharnchai repeatedly shot him to make him stop.

Siricharnchai revealed that he got the gun from his friend and threw it into a pond within the temple’s grounds. An officer later found the gun, adding he would conduct an investigation into the owner of it and would also question Siricharnchai’s friend.

The Superintendent of the Nongki Police Station, Saksi Krairat, informed the media that no charges had been issued against the gunman. Further questioning would be conducted by a child specialist and psychologist.