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It was a black Thursday at Uthai Sawan of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand when a former policeman killed 37 people, including 22 children, during a knife and gun rampage at a daycare centre.
Police said the 34-year-old ex-cop attacker, after fleeing the murder scene and realising a manhunt was launched on him later shot his wife and child dead at their residence, Nong Bua Lamphu province before killing himself.
A teacher who survived the horrible incident told Thailand’s Thairath TV that the attacker used to drop off his child at the nursery and had appeared polite until hell broke loose today.
Reuters revealed that the age bracket of children at the daycare centre was from two to five years, adding that the attacker was dismissed from the police in June last year over drug allegations.
The report said he was facing trial on a drugs charge and had earlier appeared in court in the day before advancing to the school to collect his child.
A police spokesperson Paisal Luesomboon said, “He started shooting, slashing, killing children at the Utai Sawan daycare centre.”
Another district official Jidapa Boonsom said about 30 children were at the facility when the attacker arrived, fewer than usual, as heavy rain had kept many people away.
“The shooter came in around lunchtime and shot four or five officials at the childcare centre first,” Jidapa said.
Jidapa further said: “It’s really shocking. We were very scared and running to hide once we knew it was shooting. So many children got killed, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan travelled on Thursday to Uthai Sawan to meet victims’ families on Thursday while the prime minister was expected to visit on Friday.
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