Dozens of children among at least 36 people killed in child care center massacre in Thailand

Thailand recoiled in horror Thursday after at least 36 people were killed, at least 24 of them children, in a massacre at a child care center in northeastern Thailand believed to be the country’s deadliest incident of its kind.

Authorities immediately launched a manhunt for the suspected attacker, later identified by Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) as Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman. According to Thai Royal Police he was taken off duty earlier this year in relation to drug possession charges.

Among the dozens of victims are Kamrab’s wife and stepson, whom investigators say he killed before taking his own life.

According to a local police chief, his 2-year-old stepson was enrolled in the nursery he attacked on Thursday. However, he was not present when the attack took place.

“(Kamrab) went to look for his two-year-old son, but the boy was not there … so he started shooting as well as stabbing people at the nursery,” police spokesperson Maj. General Paisan Luesomboon told CNN.

Kamrab then “managed to get into a room where 24 kids were sleeping together,” killing all but one of them in what increas.

“He also used a knife to stab both children and staff at the center,” Luesomboon said.

Eyewitness account

One of the center’s teachers described a horrific scene to local media, explaining that the attacker entered the center around noon, while two other staff members were having lunch.

“I suddenly heard the sound just sounded like fire crackers. So I looked back [and] the two staffs just collapsed on the floor,” the teacher said.

“Then he pulled another gun from his waist…I didn’t expect he would also kill the kids,” they said.

The teacher also stated that the attacker also had a second gun and a knife which he used for fatally stabbing another teacher, who was eight-months pregnant.

One eyewitness said to Reuters that she believed the attacker was coming for her child. When he arrived to the center, he “didn’t say anything,” and “shot at the door while the children were sleeping,” she said.

Most of the deaths were the result of “stabbing wounds,” Luesomboon told CNN.

Reuters was also told by a teacher that the attacker had mainly used a knife.

“It all went down really fast. He was slashing the knife, he didn’t use the gun, he kept slashing in there. It’s all by a knife,” she said.

Police General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said that the attacker “mainly used a knife” to kill the children.

“Then he got out and started killing anyone he met along the way with a gun or the knife until he got home,” said Kittiprapas. “We surrounded the house and then found that he committed suicide in his home.”

The massacre took place at the Child Development Center in Nong Bua Lamphu province’s Uthaisawan Na Klang district, according to a statement from the Prime Minister, who called the incident “shocking” and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

The province is located about 540 km (335 miles) northeast from Bangkok. It is peaceful and quiet and is not known to be prone to violence.

According to a statement by his office, Chan-ocha will visit the province Friday to meet with the families of the victims.

‘No child should be a target’

According to Thai Royal Police, Kamrab was set to be convicted in the ongoing case involving alleged possession methamphetamine. This verdict is expected to be rendered on Oct. 7.

Police also stated that they found a tablet containing Yaba in his home during an earlier undated search. Yaba is a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine, which is a tablet usually crushed and smoked, known locally as “crazy medicine.”

Charges of possessing the “Category 1” drug led to his suspension from police duty in January.

Thailand's gun ownership is quite high in comparison to other countries in Southeast Asia.

According to 2017 data from the Small Arms Survey (SAS) in Switzerland, there were more than 10.3 millions civilian firearms in Thailand. That's roughly 15 guns per 100 people. According to SAS, approximately 6.2 million guns have been legally registered.

Thailand ranks as the Southeast Asian country with the second-highest gun homicides after the Philippines, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s 2019 Global Burden of Disease database.

In a statement, UNICEF said it was “shocked” by the tragedy and sent its condolences to the families affected.

It condemned the attack, saying: “No child should be a target or witness of violence any where, anytime,” adding, “Early childhood development centers, schools and all learning spaces must be safe havens for young children to learn, play and grow during their most critical years.”

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss said in a tweet that she was “shocked to hear of the horrific events,” and said that her “thoughts are with all those affected and the first responders.”

“The UK stands with the Thai people at this terrible time,” she said.

CNN’s Kara Fox contributed reporting.