4 days ago
6
One student was shot but remains in hospital in a stable condition - another was also hospitalised after leaping from a window to escape the gunfire
07:09, Thu, Feb 12, 2026 Updated: 07:24, Thu, Feb 12, 2026
Police arrest the teen who held up the school for two hours (Image: Royal Thai Police)
A school principal has succumbed to her wounds in hospital after an armed teenager stormed a school campus and opened fire, police have confirmed.
Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, headteacher of Patongprathankeeriwat School in Hat Yai, Thailand, lost her fight for life in the early hours of Thursday morning. She had been shot as she shielded her students during the horror attack and hostage situation, which took place shortly before 5pm local time on Wednesday (February 11).
The carnage began when an 18-year-old suspect—described by local officials as having a history of drug abuse and mental health issues— entered the school after stealing a police officer's gun. Police were called to the educational facility as the teen was creating a disturbance near the school grounds.
The 18-year-old turned on officers when they arrived. Once he had armed himself, the teenager took off into the school building, unleashing a barrage of bullets in the process.
As well as Principal Sinsamosorn, one student was shot but remains in hospital in a stable condition. A second student was also hospitalised after leaping from a window to escape the gunfire.
Police in the southern city confirmed the suspect was eventually shot and apprehended by officers following a tense, two-hour standoff.
A Thai police officer outside the school (Image: AP)
His motive remains unclear, though Thai media reports suggest he may have held a grievance against a teacher at the school.
In a social media post, the school paid tribute to the now-departed principal, who died a hero as she tried to protect her students. In the post, faculty expressed its “deepest condolences” to her family, friends, and the student cohort. It said: “Although we have lost her, the memories and kindness she left behind will forever remain in our hearts.”
The latest news from around the world Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Gun crime remains a serious issue in Thailand, where both legal and illegal firearms are widely available. The country has been rocked by a series of deadly shootings in recent years.
Last year, five people were killed in an attack at a Bangkok food market. In 2023, a 14-year-old boy shot dead two people and wounded five others at a luxury shopping mall in the capital. A year earlier, a former police officer killed 36 people, most of them children, in a massacre at a kindergarten in north-eastern Thailand.
English (US) · 