BURIRAM — A 15-year-old boy has been arrested after shooting his biological father at their home in Lam Plai Mat district, following eight years of alleged physical abuse.
The incident occurred at 7:45 p.m. on June 18, when officers from Lam Plai Mat Police Station responded to reports of a shooting in the Ban Nong Hua Chang Phattana community.
The victim, 51-year-old Choksan, sustained a gunshot wound under his right armpit and was rushed to Buriram Hospital in serious condition. The teen reportedly fired eight shots using a 9mm handgun, though only one bullet hit the target.
The teenager told police he acted out of long-held resentment, claiming that since the age of eight, his father had routinely slapped, kicked, and punched him. Other family members, including his mother, were unable to stop the violence.
Moments before the shooting, the boy said his father had assaulted him in front of his mother. In response, he took his father’s handgun from the bedroom, watched a YouTube video on how to load it, and then confronted and shot him until the gun ran out of bullets.
The boy’s 63-year-old grandmother, Noi, told reporters that her grandson had previously suffered head and facial injuries so severe he couldn’t eat and nearly went blind. She recalled a disturbing conversation just 10 days prior, where the boy asked her:
“Why do I have to be tortured like this?”
“Would it be a terrible sin if I killed someone?”
She said she recognized his intent and tried to stop him, explaining that his father was trying to support the family, despite his abusive behavior.
Superintendent Wachirawit Wanthanee confirmed that no charges had yet been filed against the teen. Although the boy claimed the gun belonged to his father, police discovered it was registered to another person. Investigators are now working to verify the gun’s origin and will question the teenager further with the help of a multidisciplinary child protection team.
Choksan is currently in stable condition but remains hospitalized for further treatment.
