Suspected gunman in Thailand kindergarten shooting surrenders after 18-hour standoff

BANGKOK — A police officer who allegedly gunned down his wife at the kindergarten where she was a teacher in eastern Thailand surrendered Thursday after an overnight standoff with authorities, officials said.

Tatsapong Tongthat, an officer at the Bang Lamung station in Chonburi province, allegedly killed his wife late Wednesday morning inside a building at the Nongplalai Municipal Kindergarten about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of the capital Bangkok, according to the provincial government.

Authorities said he fled to his home after the shooting and police surrounded the house, where he remained until surrendering after an 18-hour standoff.

All 44 students at the school were unharmed and evacuated with other teachers after the shooting. Classes were suspended until Friday as a safety precaution, officials said.

School safety and gun violence in Thailand have come under scrutiny after a 14-year-old opened fire at his high school and family home on Aug. 7, killing eight people and injuring more than 20 before apparently taking his own life.

Another 14-year-old student was arrested Sept. 2 after he fired several shots but failed to injure anyone at his school in Kamphaeng Phet province, 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Bangkok.

Calls for tighter controls on firearms have intensified and the national government has ordered a review of gun regulations, including suspension of new permits to purchase firearms and a review of existing permits.

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia despite fairly restrictive gun laws. While mass shootings are still rare, Thailand has seen an uptick in high-profile attacks in recent years.