School prepares pupils for active shooter amid wave of attacks in Thailand
A school prepared pupils for an active shooter amid a spate of school shootings in Thailand.
The exercise was held at Satri Ang Thong School in Ang Thong, with local police officers taking part on September 8.
The drill simulated an armed attacker entering the school and shooting at students and staff. Tactical police units, emergency medical teams from Ang Thong Hospital, rescue workers and other agencies responded under the emergency plan.
From 7 am to 7:50 am local time, inspections were conducted at the front gate using a metal detector.
The usual morning assembly was held before the youngsters were briefed on the exercise, which began at 8:30 am.
Pupils were sent to their classrooms for lectures when an officer posing as the shooter started roaming the school corridors with a fake firearm.
Footage shows him trying to break into locked rooms as students fled.
The youngsters and teachers were instructed to hide inside their classrooms, barricade the doors, and wait to receive a signal from police that the coast was clear.
Emergency responders also practised treating an injured pupil.
Headteacher Thammasorn Susiri said that the training served as a pilot scheme for the Ang Thong provincial authority to provide students with knowledge and understanding of crisis survival strategies.
It also enabled school personnel to learn protocol for such situations.
He said: 'Everyone must understand their respective duties and be capable of providing appropriate assistance to pupils and relevant officials.'
Based on the drill, the school identified key areas of improvement, including designated zones for responding officers, asking people not to livestream or share information during an active incident, and providing regular updates to parents.
Thammasorn added: ‘The school will incorporate the concerns, recommendations and instructions from relevant agencies to refine its operational guidelines for greater clarity.
‘These will be communicated to all teachers, staff and students to ensure readiness and minimise potential losses if a crisis occurs in the future.'
Thailand has a tragic history of school shootings, with firearms widely available from both shops and on the black market.
On September 2, a 15-year-old boy allegedly opened fire at Wachiraprakarn Wittayakhom School in Kamphaeng Phet while searching for a rival. No one was injured.
On August 7, a 14-year-old student allegedly killed his grandparents before shooting dead six others at Debsirin Nonthaburi School and turning the gun on himself.
In February this year, a gunman opened fire with a machine gun and took hostages inside a school in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. One teacher was killed.
In 2022, gunman Panya Khamrab killed 37 people, including 24 children during a rampage at a nursery school in Bua Lamphu province.
