Thailand Day Care Massacre: Parents, Nation Grief After Ex-Cop Opens Fire During Kids' Nap Time Killing 24 Children
Summary: After being reunited with their dead children on Friday, parents broke down in tears and fainted on the grounds of a temple in northeastern Thailand.
In a classroom in northern Thailand on Friday, dried blood stains could still be seen on the wood floor, a day after the worst mass murder in the nation's history took place in what may have been the most unlikely of places.
School bags were left on colorful shelves at the Child Development Center Uthai Sawan, where smiling child pictures hung from the wall next to cardboard ladybug cutouts.
Parents Collapse While Identifying Thai Massacre Victims
As officials completed plans for a visit by the nation's top leaders, grieving parents outside gathered on blue plastic chairs in a makeshift shed, holding on to each other and their children's blankets and bottles, any reminder of life.
A former policeman who was armed with a knife and a handgun made his way inside the classroom on Thursday during nap time and cut more than 20 small children, aged 2 to 5, while they were asleep.
The front door of the center had a red carpet laid up for the delivery of a floral wreath, a present from the King's youngest daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.
In a rare appearance later on Friday, the King and Queen paid a visit to the wounded survivors and their families at Nong Bua Lam Phu Hospital, according to a source familiar with the king's schedule.
Their visit came after that of the nation's prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, who had previously spoken with families at the government-established relief center, paid visits to victims who were being treated in hospitals, and lay flowers outside the daycare.
Although Thailand is used to the underlying tensions that come with having a military coup as its government, violence of the like that occurred on Thursday is rare, as per CNN. The latest large-scale fatality occurred in the nation of Southeast Asia two years ago when a former soldier went on the rampage at a military installation before turning his attention to consumers at a mall in the southernmost Nakhon Ratchasima Province, or Korat.
After witnessing her deceased loved one, a woman yelled, "He slashed over here many times, he slashed over here many times!" while pointing to the forehead.
The attacker was identified by authorities as Panya Khamrap, 34, a former police sergeant who had been fired due to drug allegations and was currently being tried for a drug offense.
The gunman had an altercation with his wife before leaving for court in the morning, according to Thailand's police chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat, who told reporters on Friday. After returning home from court and not finding them there, he went to the daycare center before beginning the killing rampage, as per Fox News.
Lone Survivor of Thailand Day Care Center Massacre
Amazingly, despite having the blanket pulled up over her head, one child stayed asleep. The attacker seemed to miss the sleeping girl throughout the chaos as the other children screamed and were killed, yet she survived the attack unharmed.
Her narrative came to light as images of the helpless victims of Khamrab's attack started to circulate, including a tragic picture of two slain twins and a teacher who was eight months pregnant. Three-year-old twins Weerapat and Weeraphon Nuatkao as well as instructor Supaporn Pramongmuk were all victims of the slaughter.
The teacher's husband wrote a moving tribute and shared it on Facebook. "I want to thank everyone who has helped me and my family. As a teacher, my wife has performed flawlessly. Please look after your mother in heaven, my darling, and be a teacher there," wrote Seksan Srirach.
A few months prior to the Thai daycare being the subject of the horrific attack, photos of kids having fun there have also emerged. In a religious service in March of this year, the kids can be seen playing with instructors wearing brown uniforms and giving them flowers.
The coffins of dozens of Thai children and teachers were seen being brought to a hospital morgue just before news of Nong Am's amazing rescue broke. At Udon Thani hospital in Udon Thani province, emergency services and rescue personnel were seen carrying coffins containing the victims' bodies, Daily Mail reported.
