Massacre in Thailand: man murders 24 children in day care center

A former police officer in Thailand allegedly killed more than 30 people, at least 24 of them children, at a day care in the country's northeastern Nong Bua Lamphu province. The killer then committed suicide, according to Thailand's national police chief. It was the deadliest attack perpetrated by a single person in Thailand's history.

Pania Khamrab, 34, went around 12:30 (local time) to the daycare center with a firearm and a knife. He returned to his home afterwards, where he killed his wife and son before committing suicide, according to authorities.

A Thai government official confirmed that the criminal also killed four or five staff members at the day care center, including a pregnant teacher. "At first people thought it was fireworks. The gunman forced his way into one of the classrooms where children were sleeping and stabbed them," said the same official.

In the time between the day care massacre and the murder of his family, Khamrab fled in a van and ran over several pedestrians as he made his way to his home, authorities said. He subsequently burned the vehicle.

Local police are investigating the motives that led Khamrab to carry out the killing. The killer was fired by the police force last June 15 after committing several drug trafficking offenses.