SONGKHLA - A 14-year-old former student has apologised after posting social media messages threatening to carry out a shooting at a school in Hat Yai district of this southern province, prompting a police investigation.
The former Matthayom 2 (Grade 8) student, who had already been expelled, posted photographs of himself holding what appeared to be a gun along with threats directed at the school and its teachers.
The posts read: “I’m going to carry out a shooting at T.3, especially Kru (teacher) Ubol. I’ll shoot every one of them,” and “See you at Tor Shor Tor 3. School shooting. I’ll shoot everyone at the school.”
The messages alarmed teachers and students, who reported the matter to police on Friday and expressed concern that it could be a copycat threat following the recent tragedy at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, Daily News Online reported.
Pol Lt Col Macha Kaewthong, the Hat Yai police chief, ordered investigators to track down the teenager. Officers brought the boy and his parents in for questioning and seized what was later found to be a replica gun.
The boy told police he had posted the messages on impulse and never intended to act on them.
He also denied being angry with his former homeroom teacher identified only as Ubol, whose name appeared in the post. According to the boy, he included her name because someone commenting on the post had asked him to identify a teacher.
The teenager apologised to the teacher for causing fear.
Ms Ubol said she was shocked to see her name in the post. She said the student had failed several subjects while in Matthayom 2 and that she had contacted him to attend remedial classes and examinations so he could be promoted to Matthayom 3.
“It is normal for teachers to ask students to sit remedial exams so they can move on to the next level,” she said.
Ms Ubol noted that the boy might have viewed her actions as overly strict. Alarmed by his threat to shoot everyone at the school, she decided to file a police complaint as a precaution.
