A school director who was critically wounded during a shooting at a school in Hat Yai has died from her injuries, hospital officials confirmed early Thursday.
Sasipat Sinsamosorn, 54, passed away at 2am this morning due to massive blood loss and severe internal organ damage, said Dr Wirote Yommuang, director of Hatyai Hospital. She had been shot in the left side of the chest, with the bullet travelling across her body and downward, he added.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday afternoon at Patongprathankiriwat School, where Sasipat was confronted by a 17-year-old armed assailant. According to reports, she attempted to protect her students by offering herself as a hostage so they could escape.
Sasipat held a master’s degree in educational administration and had served as both deputy director and director at three schools in Songkhla province prior to her most recent post.
Police said the attacker, a local resident of Patong subdistrict, had recently been discharged from Songkhla Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for mental illness linked to drug abuse.
Earlier on Wednesday, the teenager was seen acting erratically on a nearby hill. Two patrol officers and a village headman responded at about 2:54pm, but the suspect threatened them with a long knife before chasing them to their patrol vehicle and stealing a SIG MPX submachine gun.
The suspect later arrived at the school on a motorcycle at around 4:45pm, where he shot Sasipat and held several teachers and students hostage. He reportedly demanded to see a specific teacher.
Efforts to de-escalate the situation included intervention by the suspect’s sister, who is a student at the school.
A special police task force later stormed the area at approximately 6:30pm, arresting the attacker. He sustained a gunshot wound to the ear during the operation.
Two other students were injured during the incident. A 14-year-old girl was shot and underwent abdominal surgery on Wednesday evening, while a 19-year-old suffered an ankle injury after jumping from the second floor of a school building.
Patongprathankiriwat School will remain closed on Thursday and Friday to allow for mourning and counselling for students and staff.
In a Facebook post, the school paid tribute to its late director, writing: “although we have lost you, the memories and the goodness you left behind will remain in our hearts forever.”
