A teenager who police said seized a firearm from an officer opened fire at a public school in southern Thailand, killing the school’s principal and injuring two students before surrendering after a tense hostage standoff that lasted about two hours, authorities said.
The shooting at Patongprathankiriwat School in Songkhla province jolted a region near the Malaysian border and prompted a heavy police response as families gathered outside the gates waiting for children to be led to safety. Officials said the suspect remained in custody as investigators worked to establish a motive and reconstruct how the teen obtained the gun and moved onto school grounds. The principal, identified by officials as Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, was rushed to a hospital and later died, according to health authorities.
Authorities said the attack unfolded late Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 11, shortly after classes were dismissed. Local officials said the teen entered the campus in an agitated state and began firing, sending students and staff scrambling for cover. Police established a perimeter around the multi-story school building and began evacuating students from corridors and stairwells while trying to isolate the gunman and secure those trapped inside. “The perpetrator has been captured,” a senior local official said after officers moved in and detained the suspect.
Officials said Sinsamosorn was shot during the initial attack and was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. Health officials said she underwent surgery and was admitted to intensive care, but died around 2 a.m. Thursday. Authorities said two students were injured during the incident, including one who was wounded by gunfire and another who was hurt while trying to flee, with reports indicating the second student was injured in a fall or jump during the evacuation. Police and local administrators said early injury counts were being reconciled as hospitals treated patients and families searched for children.
Investigators said the gunman was detained on school property after officers negotiated and then moved in to end the standoff and free remaining hostages. Authorities said the teen was grazed by a bullet during the confrontation and was treated at a hospital while under guard. Officials did not immediately release the suspect’s name, and they said formal charges had not been filed as of Thursday while investigators gathered evidence, interviewed witnesses and awaited further medical updates on the wounded.
Authorities offered shifting accounts of the events that led to the shooting, but said police had been responding to reports of erratic behavior nearby before the teen moved into the school. In one account described by local officials, the teen attacked an officer outside the campus and seized the officer’s gun, then rode into the school and opened fire. Another account said officers were called about a young person behaving unpredictably in the area, and the situation escalated quickly as the teen obtained a weapon and entered the school grounds. Officials said the sequence will be clarified through witness statements and forensic work.
Videos circulating online showed armed officers in helmets and body armor moving through the building while bursts of gunfire were heard in the distance, then guiding students down stairs and out to waiting areas. In one clip, officers told children it was safe as students ran in lines past classrooms. Outside the campus, parents and relatives waited along nearby roads, some crying as buses and ambulances arrived. Teachers and students described a chaotic scene, with children hiding in classrooms and then moving when police signaled routes were clear.
Authorities said investigators were still working to determine why the teen targeted the school and whether the suspect intended to harm specific staff members. One account relayed by officials said the teen demanded to see a particular teacher and fired after he could not find that person, though investigators said those claims had not yet been fully verified. Police also said the suspect had family ties to the campus, including a sister who attended the school, but they cautioned against drawing conclusions before interviews and records checks are completed.
Local officials described the suspect as having a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, including a recent discharge from psychiatric treatment in December. Authorities said those details were part of an early picture and would be reviewed as investigators gathered medical information, school records and family statements. Officials said the campus would remain closed while investigators finished their work, and administrators were assessing when classes could safely resume.
The shooting renewed attention on school safety in Thailand, where mass shootings are less common than in some countries but firearms are widely available and officials have struggled with illegal weapons and violence linked to drugs. The Hat Yai incident also revived painful memories of the 2022 day care attack in Thailand in which a former police officer killed dozens of people, including many children, an event that prompted national mourning and questions about access to weapons and oversight. After Wednesday’s standoff, local leaders said they expected renewed discussions about security and the handling of high-risk situations near schools.
By Thursday, forensic teams were working inside and around the school buildings, authorities said. Police said they would examine bullet impacts, recover shell casings and review video to map the suspect’s path through the campus and the moments that led to the principal’s fatal injury. Officials did not provide a timetable for a full case briefing, but said the next major update was expected after initial evidence collection is complete and hospitals provide clearer reports on the injured students’ conditions.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.