World

Gunman who fired shots in Thai school detained

By AAP Newswire

Feb 12, 2026

Suspect held down by police — Authorities say a 17-year-old man entered the Patongprathankiriwat School with a gun. -EPA

A gunman who used a firearm stolen from a ‌police officer to wound a teacher and a girl at a school in ‌southern Thailand's Hat Yai district has been detained, authorities say.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The 17-year-old ‌suspect entered Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla Province's Hat Yai earlier in the day, appearing agitated, the provincial government said in a statement.

The suspect has a sister at the school, police commander Teerasak Chaiyotha said, but a ‌motive has yet ‌to ⁠be determined.

A female teacher was critically injured and had undergone surgery and was now in an intensive care unit while a teen girl was shot in the waist and was in a stable condition, he added.

In a photograph shared by police, the suspect, barefoot and wearing ⁠shorts and a T-shirt, is ‌shown pinned to the ground by armed officers.

He had earlier attacked a police officer and stolen ‌his firearm, provincial governor Ratthasart Chidchoo said, adding that the suspect had a history of substance abuse and was discharged from a psychiatric hospital in December.

In a video obtained by Reuters, armed police officers storm the three-storey school building as gunfire rings out.

Another video shows students ‌running down staircases while police - some wearing helmets, black bulletproof vests and carrying rifles - shout: "Go home kids, it's safe."