Thailand mourns the victims of the mass shooting

Feelings of shock and grief are present throughout Thailand following the mass shooting in Nong Bua Lamphu.

See: A former policeman shot 37 people, including 23 children, at a nursery in Thailand

Several organizations have joined forces to help the families of the victims and those affected.

The king met with survivors and relatives at Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital in the town of Nong Bua Laphu on Friday, October 7, a day after a former police officer killed 24 children and 12 adults in a three-hour gun and knife rampage in a sleepy rural area of Na Klang district.

The King told the bereaved families that he "shares their grief".

Funeral rites and prayers for the dead are set to begin on Saturday, marking the start of three days of mourning for the victims of one of the worst mass killings ever committed in the country.

I came here to bring you my support. I'm extremely sad about what happened.

I share your pain, your grief, the king said in a video sequence filmed at Nong Bua Lamphu hospital and posted online on Saturday.

There are no words to express the sadness.

I support you all and wish you to be strong, so that the spirit of the children can be soothed

The king, with Her Majesty the Queen by his side, said he would pray for the dead.

We must do our best, the best we can, he said.

The royal visit took place after a day of mourning at the small yellow-walled nursery on the outskirts of Uthai Sawan.

Heartbroken parents laid white roses, one by one, on the steps of the nursery where their young children's lives were brutally cut short on Thursday afternoon by Sergeant Panya Khamrab.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha joined the mourners on Friday, laying flowers and handing over compensation checks to the bereaved families.

Some of them, struggling to comprehend the atrocity, wept uncontrollably, clutching their children's favorite toys or blankets and, in one case, a half-full bottle of milk.

Among the dead is Supaporn Pramongmuk, a pregnant teacher, whose husband posted a poignant tribute on Facebook.

“I would like to say thank you for all the support you have given us, to me and my family.

“My wife has fulfilled all her duties as a teacher,” Seksan Srirach wrote.

“Please be a teacher in heaven, and my child, please take care of your mother in heaven.”.

The attacker forced his way into the nursery at around 12:10 p.m. Thursday to begin his killing spree, opening fire with his own 9mm pistol, which he owned legally, and using a knife.

Then, the 34-year-old man went home to kill his wife and son before committing suicide, the police said, ending his carnage around 3 pm.

In total, he killed 24 children, 21 boys and three girls, and 12 adults.

Most died from a combination of stab wounds and gunshots, according to police investigators.

General Prayut ordered a swift investigation into the massacre, and it emerged that Panya had been dismissed from the police for drug abuse.

Several people in the tight-knit community told AFP that he was known in the area as a methamphetamine addict.

The Supreme Patriarch of Thai Buddhism has offered his condolences to the families of the victims of the shooting.

His office has stated that it will provide religious supplies and financial assistance to help with the funerals of the victims, who will receive special facilitation from local temples, as well as financial assistance for those injured.

The Supreme Patriarch has asked all Buddhist temples in Thailand to hold a special prayer for the victims last night.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered government offices to fly the national flag at half-mast yesterday.

A moment of silence was observed.

He also asked all relevant agencies to provide full assistance to the families of the victims and to put on the table the issue of gun ownership.

Source: Bangkok Post, National News Bureau of Thailand