A gunman has been detained after firing shots at a government building on the outskirts of the Thai capital Bangkok, authorities said, quoted by “Reuters“, BTA reports.
The suspect is a former lawmaker who shot a senior government official in Nonthaburi province and his driver. The two were injured in the attack and taken to hospital, local police chief Maj-Gen Dejrapi Kongdi said.
“Two people were injured and have been taken to hospital for treatment,“ he told “Reuters“.
The incident comes just days after a deadly shooting in the same province in which a 14-year-old boy killed eight people, including six at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, before turning the gun on himself. Another 20 people were injured in the attack.
The tragedy was Thailand's worst mass shooting in four years and has sparked renewed calls for tighter gun control.
Students at Debsirin Nonthaburi School returned to their classrooms, but with heightened security. Metal detectors were installed at the entrances and additional checks were introduced.
“We never imagined that something like this could happen in a school that should be one of the safest places,“ said the school's principal, Witan Promsinthusak.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated the government's intention to tighten controls on firearms after the deadly attack.
The Ministry of Education announced that new safety protocols for schools will be developed over the next three months. These will include mental health checks, emergency response drills, anti-bullying measures and improved systems for detecting weapons and other prohibited items.
The government is also planning stricter measures against people carrying weapons in public places. The prime minister has ordered police to set up checkpoints as part of a campaign to curb the illegal possession, carrying and use of firearms.
The new attack puts additional pressure on authorities at a time when the country is still recovering from the shock of the deadly school shooting.