Oct 6, 2022:

At least 36 people, including 23 children aged 2-5 years old were killed at a daycare center in Thailand by a 34-year-old former police officer. Most of the child victims were stabbed to death. At least 10 other people were wounded.

After the attack at the daycare center, the assailant killed his wife and child at home, and then committed suicide with a gun.

The attacker, Panya Kamrap, used a legally obtained 9mm handgun and a knife to carry out the attack.

Police said that Kamrap was fired from the police force within the last year over drug allegations, and that he was facing trial on a drugs charge.

The massacre took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan in Thailand's northeastern province of Nongbua Lamphu.

The massacre is the worst in terms of deaths in Thailand's history. The previous most deadly mass shooting took place in 2020 when a soldier opened fire in and around a mall in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, killing 29 people and wounding 57.

The massacre is one of the worst involving children killed by one person. At a summer camp in Norway in 2011, Anders Breivik killed 69 people, mostly teenagers. At Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012 20 children were killed. At Dunblane in Scotland in 1996 19 children were killed. Earlier this year in Uvalde, Texas 19 children were killed. In Russia in 2004, 186 children were killed during the Beslan school hostage crisis by a group of hostage takers.

Source:

Vejpongsa, Tassanee; Rising, David. (October 6, 2022). "Fired police sergeant attacks Thai day care center, kills 36". Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-10-07

Satienlerk, Vorasit; Perawongmetha, Athit. (October 6, 2022). "Thailand massacre: ex-cop kills 24 children in knife and gun rampage". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-10-07