At least 34 killed in mass shooting at Thai nursery

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Thirty-four people have been killed, including 22 children, in a mass shooting at a preschool centre in a north-eastern province of Thailand, police have said.

The attacker was a former policeman who killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead.

About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman entered the building at 12.30pm (5.30am UK time), during the children’s nap time, police and local officials said. Some of the victims were as young as two.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/06/thailand-shooting-attack-at-pre-school-centre

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Live coverage from BBC


https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-63156417


Live coverage from Sky

https://news.sky.com/story/at-least-30-dead-including-children-after-mass-shooting-at-day-care-centre-in-thailand-12713318



 


Breaking

[mountaineer]

Horrible.

[mountaineer]

How're those strict gun laws working for you, Thailand?

... GUN LAWS

- Gun laws are quite strict in Thailand. Illegal possession of a firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($536), but gun ownership is high compared with some other countries in southeast Asia.

- Illegal weapons, many brought in from strife-torn countries, are common but mass shootings remain rare.   

- The estimated total number of guns held, legally and illegally, by civilians in Thailand was 10.3 million in 2017, or one for about every seven citizens. Of those, about 4 million were illegal.

- The annual number of deaths resulting from firearms was 1,292 in 2019, down from 2,953 deaths a decade earlier, Gunpolicy.org said.

- Applicants for a gun owner's licence must give a genuine reason to possess a firearm, such as for hunting or to be part of a collection. The applicant must be aged at least 20 and first undergo background checks which consider personal conduct, living condition, income and any criminal records.  ...

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