Teen gunman takes students hostage before killing headmaster in Thailand
What's the story
A gunman reportedly opened fire at the Patong Prathan Khiri Wit School in Songkhla province, Thailand on Wednesday, killing a headmaster and leaving teachers and pupils injured. Per initial reports, the attacker entered the school and opened fire at security staff and others nearby before seizing a group of students and teachers and holding them inside the building.
Twitter Post
Visuals from outside school
#Thailand’s Hat Yai rocked by school shooting: An 18-year-old opened fire at Prathan Khiriwat School, seriously injuring the director and a student.
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) February 11, 2026
He allegedly grabbed an M4 from police, stormed the campus, and took a female staffer hostage.
Cops have sealed off the area. pic.twitter.com/FcdMAeiTUE
Local reports
Gunman is an 18-year-old man
Local media reports indicate that the gunman is an 18-year-old man who entered the campus with a firearm. A security guard who managed to escape from the school spoke to local media about the incident. He said, "A bullet grazed my stomach, but I escaped. The school director was shot. There were still children inside the school who have been taken hostage."
Cops
Man allegedly entered the school with an M4 submachine gun
Armed police rushed to the scene immediately as hundreds of students fled onto the streets outside. Police in the Thung Lung district got reports that the gunman was acting abnormally and threatening to hurt his mother at a house near the school. When authorities arrived, the man allegedly entered the school with an M4 submachine gun and opened fire.
Public
Public has been advised to avoid the area
Chilling footage from the school shows the shooter walking around the premises with his weapon raised. Armed military and emergency vehicles can also be seen surrounding the area. The public has been advised to avoid the area while Hat Yai police and special operations troops surround the school to handle the situation.