Four children survive daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand

Despite widespread coverage in Thai media that only one child survived the brutal massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu in northeast Thailand yesterday, reports identify four child survivors of the gun and knife rampage.

Yesterday, a former policeman killed 37 people in total including 24 children under six years old while they were taking an afternoon nap at a daycare centre in Na Klang district. Then, he continued his killing spree on his journey home, where he killed his wife and child before committing suicide.

Four young children survived the tragedy.

Little Sumaee

The ruthless killer stabbed and shot a three year old boy named Sumaee twice in the head inside the daycare centre, according to Sky News. Little Sumaee was taken for urgent neurosurgery at Udon Thani Hospital which took over one hour. Skilled surgeons successfully removed the two bullets from his head.

The boy’s mother, Joy, told a Sky News correspondent that she fainted when she arrived at the day centre and saw the blood and bodies. Then, Joy’s husband saw their son being carried out into an ambulance and there was a glimmer of hope.

Joy reflected on her morning, saying that her son Sumaee had begged her not to go to daycare that day. Assuming her child would be safe, she says she “forced him” to go, but can’t stop thinking about their conversation.

Little Suamee, who witnessed unspeakable violence, miraculously survived multiple gunshots to his head. However, almost all of his classmates were killed.

Little Ammy

People are calling three year old “Ammy” a miracle after she came out of the daycare centre with no injuries yesterday. Little Ammy was asleep next to the wall and somehow went unnoticed by the killer, Amarin TV reports.

Ammy’s 59 year old grandfather heard about the massacre and rushed to the scene to look for Ammy. She was the only child inside the centre who was not attacked.

Little Mick

After the ex-policeman’s killing spree in the daycare centre, he ran outside and fled the scene in his pickup truck. He crashed into a family’s motorbike and adjoined sidecar, carrying three year old Mick, Mick’s mother and his grandmother.

Mick’s mother was killed in the crash. The killer got out of the pickup truck and stabbed three year old Mick in the head and also stabbed his grandmother. His injured grandmother was taken to Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital for treatment and Little Mick was rushed to Udon Thani Hospital for treatment.

Reports say that three year old Mick is now in a safe and stable condition.

Little Kan

Thai Rath reports that a young boy named Kanphong “Kan” Suana suffered a brain hemorrhage following the attack. The report did not state Kan’s age or whether he was shot or stabbed.

Little Kan had life-saving brain surgery which took over one hour. Little Kan’s mother Kamolthip Suana said the surgery was successful.