Primary school boy in Korat steals his soldier dad's gun and shoots friend at school

[Chongalulu]

That’ll mean detention and 100 lines - "I must not shoot Somchai"...oh and the obligatory Wai...

[Scott Tracy]

To steal infers taking without permission with the intention of permanently depriving the owner thereof. I suggest the headline is a little fanciful. I think that, had things not gone pearshaped, the weapon would have been returned to its rightful place before the father got back home.

Ah, to be critical and comparative is easy. There several places in the world where the right to keep loaded weapons at home could be considered to be enshrined in law. There are other places were certain weapons are banned. I don't know the regulations regarding service personnel and weapons in Thailand.

However, In other posts earlier this week, a minister stated that a parent who permitted their child to drive, murdered that child if it died whilst doing so. Perhaps in this case, it is the parents who are culpable.

[tandor]

20 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Something has obviously gone very wrong in his upbringing.

...you mean the father obviously?

[tandor]

3 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

To steal infers taking without permission with the intention of permanently depriving the owner thereof. I suggest the headline is a little fanciful. I think that, had things not gone pearshaped, the weapon would have been returned to its rightful place before the father got back home.

Ah, to be critical and comparative is easy. There several places in the world where the right to keep loaded weapons at home could be considered to be enshrined in law. There are other places were certain weapons are banned. I don't know the regulations regarding service personnel and weapons in Thailand.

However, In other posts earlier this week, a minister stated that a parent who permitted their child to drive, murdered that child if it died whilst doing so. Perhaps in this case, it is the parents who are culpable.

..for sure...the article appears to insinuate the boy took the gun to school a week prior to the incident..common sense and safety should have kicked in regardless of any regulation you would think..the father should be charged with aiding and abetting this wounding charge...IMHO

[Dogmatix]

There is nothing in the Thai Firearms Act or supplementary regulations pursuant to same about safe storage of licensed firearms. Most Thai gun owners toss the gun locks that come with new handguns these days straight in the trash.

[Dogmatix]

21 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

To steal infers taking without permission with the intention of permanently depriving the owner thereof. I suggest the headline is a little fanciful. I think that, had things not gone pearshaped, the weapon would have been returned to its rightful place before the father got back home.

Ah, to be critical and comparative is easy. There several places in the world where the right to keep loaded weapons at home could be considered to be enshrined in law. There are other places were certain weapons are banned. I don't know the regulations regarding service personnel and weapons in Thailand.

However, In other posts earlier this week, a minister stated that a parent who permitted their child to drive, murdered that child if it died whilst doing so. Perhaps in this case, it is the parents who are culpable.

 
Thai soldiers apart from special forces  , SWAT teams and the like are not issued with handguns as service weapons. They withdraw assault rifles from the armory as needed and return them afterwards. It was almost certainly the soldier’s personal weapon which may or maybe not have been licensed. Soldiers don’t expect trouble from police if they carry illegal weapons around but they can buy legal ones under the Ministry of Interior welfare scheme at discounted prices that are still higher than US retail.

[kiwikeith]

21 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Something has obviously gone very wrong in his upbringing.

Sounds like a stupid accident, kids playing or maybe fighting over Dads gun, who was going to hold it next.

Tragic, but this problem could be solved if gun owners had to lock their guns in secure steel lockups as in NZ.

It is also illegal not to lock them safely so if this happened in NZ the owner of the gun would be in serious trouble.

[sawadee1947]

21 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Something has obviously gone very wrong in his upbringing.

Well, 

But I think there is also something wrong with the parents.... 

To keep a loaded gun at home with Access to a nine year old boy? 

I wonder what will happen to the soldier. 

RIP little boy. 

[DJ54]

6 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

A soldier thinks it's fine to leave a loaded gun about the house.....the immaturity of Thai males never ceases to amaze me.

 

Not only Thai most countries. A police friend of mine in US wife had to tell not to leave the pistol loaded on the floor of her car.

They had 5 children 10 years and under at that time...

[sawadee1947]

26 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

Sounds like a stupid accident, kids playing or maybe fighting over Dads gun, who was going to hold it next.

Tragic, but this problem could be solved if gun owners had to lock their guns in secure steel lockups as in NZ.

It is also illegal not to lock them safely so if this happened in NZ the owner of the gun would be in serious trouble.

...not only NZ. It's law in developed Countries, maybe not in US

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

RIP little boy. 

Has there been an update?

[roo860]

3 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

There is nothing in the Thai Firearms Act or supplementary regulations pursuant to same about safe storage of licensed firearms. Most Thai gun owners toss the gun locks that come with new handguns these days straight in the trash.

Thanks, that's what I was trying to find out.

????

[DennisE]

Oh God I live in Korat and that’s the same school one of my nephews used to go to I absolutely hate reading sh!t like this. 

[DennisE]

These things happen in the states all the time YOU GOTTA KEEP THE DAMN GUN WHERE THE KIDS CANNOT TOUCH THEM AND TEACH THEM THE SERIOUSNESS OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN!!!!!!!

[DennisE]

I’ve seen people get shot dead before and when I read stories like this about a child taking a bullet to the chest it just makes me want to cry. The poor kid probably had no idea what was happening to him when the bullet hit him, probably took a few seconds to even feel it but when you do it’s like fire in your chest and gurgling and struggling to breathe because it’s a sucking chest wound and it’s a horrible way to die. Reading this story and other stories like this makes me sick to my stomach because I don’t know if most people truly understand the extent of the damage that bullets do not like in the movies at all it’s extremely graphic to see it happen in front of you. The sound is defending especially indoors and blood and bone fragments WILL fly everywhere at least the same speed as the bullet. I saw a guy in Afghanistan once take a piece of bone fragment to the leg because someone was shot through the head within a few feet of us it’s just unreal to see it happen indescribable. I absolutely hate stories like this and this happened almost within walking distance of home. 

[DennisE]

We were all over downtown Korat yesterday as well but I’m just now hearing about it ????. 

[SunsetT]

...And no teacher happened to notice a kid of that age toting a gun!?!

Edited January 4, 2020 by SunsetT

[AmericanSafety]

Well, being American, I was brought up with guns in the household. I was taught at a very young age they are not toys and never should be handled under any circumstances without an adult present. I was about 7 when I took my .22 rifle out bird hunting before my grand parents got home. When they did, my grandfather reminded me I wasn't to touch guns without an adult present and tanned my backside properly. That being said, Thailand is nothing like the US and guns in the household is not all too common. The child was most likely curious and the father was negligent in not only teaching his son etiquette but also guilty of not keeping it secure. Now the father & son will have the guilt hanging over their heads and a child is seriously injured with horrified parents. 

[Mac98]

We are assuming it was not locked up. When I was  that age I got my dad's gun out of a locked dresser stored in the attic. I got his keys and suspected I might find fireworks. Opened the drawer, saw the revolver, closed the drawer but didn't lock it. The next day both parents at work, i'm on summer vacation. (Yes, in 1951 kids were allowed to run free.) Got some bullets, went outside, shot it once down a gopher hole. Scared myself half to death, put it away and never touched it again. But I did find some fireworks and a couple French postcards.

[mike787]

a simple wai will fix everything.

[madmen]

Just practising to be an adult

[scorecard]

20 hours ago, legend49 said:

Yes why would a soldier need to keep that at home when no one is at war? Other countries weapons are locked in an armory.

As a side comment, old TVers will be well aware of the multiple occasions when Thai military premisies have 'lost' a few to hundred of weapons. Often discovered to be an inside job.

[BigC]

On 1/3/2020 at 9:57 PM, Xaos said:

And loaded.

 

How soldiers are allowed to keep arms at home? Being soldier doesn't make that gun legal. 

Yes their guns  are legal. 

 

But he if someone  shoots someone  with someone  elses gun  then then owner  shall have trouble even if it wad a friend who.borrow your gun or anyone

 

So sad story yes the ammuntion should  have been kept  separate  from the gun

 

 

[Cereal]

Is the kid who got shot going to be okay?

[Scott Tracy]

As I said previously, I cannot speak as to the regulations with regards to service weapons in Thailand. I can only say that the father is reported to be an officer, and in my day, an officer carried a sidearm. Whether a revolver or pistol, depending on era. Most officers I knew would rather not carry a rifle, as it detracted from the ability to see the bigger picture of a battle under pressure to use it. Most officers I knew we're rubbish shots anyway and the guys would definitely want to be behind them. 

However, my opinion stands, and is just another arrogant opinion. The father allowed the weapon, loaded or not at the time, to be found by the child, taken to school and discharged, injuring another child. The father, serving officer or not, must be remain culpable. 

 

[moutamine]

Thailand is becoming just as bad as USA now!

[Huckenfell]

On 1/3/2020 at 6:49 PM, toenail said:

Sorry, the dad should take part of the blame. Guns should always be locked up in the home. 

Being a soldier, the father should have known better than leaving a loaded gun lying around, an unloaded one is bad enough, but  loaded one is criminal.