Star Metro - Eight dead, including teen suspect's grandparents, in Thailand shooting

First he shot dead his grandparents, using his grandfather's handgun, then went to a secondary school north of Bangkok and killed three teachers and three students, national police said in a statement.

Dozens of police and emergency responders gathered outside the Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province on Friday, while parents raced to pick up their children and tearful students and staff comforted each other outside.

"I was afraid that I would die, and I was scared that I wouldn't be able to pursue my dreams," said Pawarisa Maylissa, a grade 12 student who hopes to attend medical school.

"I heard many gunshots very loudly because it seemed the suspect was on the floor directly above us. I could even hear bullets hitting the floor."

Fifteen injured students were not struck by gunfire but hurt as they were trying to flee, deputy interior minister Polapee Suwunchwee told local broadcaster Thai PBS.

The shooter was identified as a teenage student of the school and also reported dead, according to local media reports citing authorities.

- 'How could this happen' -

Some reports said police officers had shot and killed the suspect, while others said he had died by suicide.

"It's such a terrible incident. It should never have happened. How could this happen in our country?" Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters at Bangkok's Government House.

Photos published by local media show the suspect wearing a purple school uniform and carrying a black cross-body bag, with several bullet casings visible on the ground.

An AFP journalist saw a dozen mental health workers arrive at the school, where traffic was nearly at a standstill.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with around 10 million firearms estimated to be in circulation -- one for every seven inhabitants.

Past promises of tightening gun laws have not prevented repeated shootings.

Thai police shot and arrested a teenager who opened fire at a school in the south of the country in February, killing the principal and wounding two students.

The teen had used a police officer's weapon in the shooting.

A local police chief said at the time that the suspect was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in December and had been discharged.

The teen stabbed a police officer with a knife and stole his weapon -- a 9mm pistol -- just before the incident, and then used it to carry out the attack.

M.Johnston--SMC