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Parents Collapse in Tears, Grief as Thai Shooting Victims are Identified

Published: October 7, 2022
Parents and children of Thai massacre shooting mourn and grieve as they identify the bodies of their slain children on October 7, 2022 in northern Thailand. (Image: Screenshot via Reuters)

Parents collapsed into tears and in a faint on the grounds of a temple in northeastern Thailand on Friday, Oct. 7 after they were reunited with their slain children.

The bodies of the victims were brought to various temples where they were identified by their parents. Most of the children, aged between two and five, were slashed to death, while adults were shot, police said in the aftermath of the worst child death toll in a massacre by a single killer in recent history.

A woman shouted after seeing her slained loved one, “he slashed over here many times, he slashed over here many times’, indicating the forehead.

Police identified the attacker as Panya Khamrap, 34, a former police sergeant who was discharged over drug accusations and was facing trial on drug charges.

Thailand’s chief of police Damrongsak Kittipraphat told reporters on Friday that the gunman had an argument with his wife before going to court in the morning. He came home from court and didn’t find them there so he went to the day care and then started the killing spree.

By Reuters. (Production: Vorasit Satienlerk, Kwang Jiraporn Kuhakan, Juarawee Kittisilpa)