24 children killed in mass school shooting today
October 6, 2022 6:15 PM Subscribe
The suspect was armed with a gun and a knife and most child victims were stabbed.
“We think of mass shootings as something from far away, like in the United States,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kritsanapong. [SLNYT, archive]
"The massacre occurred in one of Thailand’s poorest provinces, where parents are often forced to migrate to the big cities for work, leaving their children at home with grandparents or other family members. Government day cares, such as the one targeted on Thursday, are free and plentiful, serving about 860,000 preschool children, according to the United Nations children’s agency. "
The suspect was allegedly mentally-ill and in a country where "a mere 2.3 percent of the government’s health expenditures go to mental health, according to the World Health Organization."
“We think of mass shootings as something from far away, like in the United States,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kritsanapong. [SLNYT, archive]
"The massacre occurred in one of Thailand’s poorest provinces, where parents are often forced to migrate to the big cities for work, leaving their children at home with grandparents or other family members. Government day cares, such as the one targeted on Thursday, are free and plentiful, serving about 860,000 preschool children, according to the United Nations children’s agency. "
The suspect was allegedly mentally-ill and in a country where "a mere 2.3 percent of the government’s health expenditures go to mental health, according to the World Health Organization."
Started crying on my way to school hearing this. Then got super fucking angry when the NPR host was asking essentially "is mass shooting at a daycare normal in Thailand?" What the fuck? This is not normal or usual in ANY country. The US included.
posted by nestor_makhno at 6:25 PM on October 6, 2022 [20 favorites]
posted by nestor_makhno at 6:25 PM on October 6, 2022 [20 favorites]
Why the emphasis on possible mental illness, and not the fact he was a recently fired cop with a legally owned gun in a country where both corruption and drug dealing is no joke?
posted by cendawanita at 6:30 PM on October 6, 2022 [45 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 6:30 PM on October 6, 2022 [45 favorites]
I hit post before I meant to, I had wanted to go into more thoughts about the story, mainly about the difference between this story in Thailand and how it's played out in the US.
- Government day cares. Free and plentiful? Huh.
- Leaving kids home with grandparents and other family members?
- Lack of mental health services, yeah that's the same
- Annoyed because this story was below the fold (and Biden forgiving pot crimes) on the NYT site - I need a better news source
- The intimacy of stabbing vs. shooting
posted by bendy at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2022 [7 favorites]
- Government day cares. Free and plentiful? Huh.
- Leaving kids home with grandparents and other family members?
- Lack of mental health services, yeah that's the same
- Annoyed because this story was below the fold (and Biden forgiving pot crimes) on the NYT site - I need a better news source
- The intimacy of stabbing vs. shooting
posted by bendy at 6:35 PM on October 6, 2022 [7 favorites]
I did not need to know about the stabbing. Jesus fuck.
.
posted by danhon at 6:37 PM on October 6, 2022 [4 favorites]
.
posted by danhon at 6:37 PM on October 6, 2022 [4 favorites]
Why the emphasis on possible mental illness, and not the fact he was a recently fired cop with a legally owned gun in a country where both corruption and drug dealing is no joke?
Sorry, I was pasting things into the window to find the focus of the post and hit post too soon. I hope my comment above this one helps.
posted by bendy at 6:37 PM on October 6, 2022
Sorry, I was pasting things into the window to find the focus of the post and hit post too soon. I hope my comment above this one helps.
posted by bendy at 6:37 PM on October 6, 2022
.
Terrible tragedy.
I also could not believe how hard I had to look at NYT without finding it - grateful for Metafilter here.
posted by Drowsy Philosopher at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Terrible tragedy.
I also could not believe how hard I had to look at NYT without finding it - grateful for Metafilter here.
posted by Drowsy Philosopher at 6:38 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is just horrible. That the majority of those murdered were stabbed, not shot, does add even more horror to the situation, for me. I had the same thought as bendy about the intimacy of stabbing vs shooting - I feel like it's a much more personal attack somehow and the level of disengagement a person must feel to do this is awful to think about.
posted by dg at 8:02 PM on October 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by dg at 8:02 PM on October 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
I’m at work, in a roomful of babies and toddlers I just put to bed.
It’s nap time and the worst thing that happens is sometimes a kid or two wakes up and won’t go back to sleep on her own so we have to sit with her and pat her until she does.
It’s nap time, and they’re safe, and we do our best. This is a country with low access to guns and low access to mental health support, low acknowledgement of drug issues, a good sense of safety but a record of men of all ages popping off for one reason or another.
Yeah, I hugged a roomful of kids today and it made me feel better about this, but it also made me feel worse about this. I’m not afraid but I’m always afraid, if you know what I mean.
I hope I’m lucky enough to put myself in the way somehow but of course I pray it never happens.
They’re just babies. I don’t understand.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 8:36 PM on October 6, 2022 [34 favorites]
It’s nap time and the worst thing that happens is sometimes a kid or two wakes up and won’t go back to sleep on her own so we have to sit with her and pat her until she does.
It’s nap time, and they’re safe, and we do our best. This is a country with low access to guns and low access to mental health support, low acknowledgement of drug issues, a good sense of safety but a record of men of all ages popping off for one reason or another.
Yeah, I hugged a roomful of kids today and it made me feel better about this, but it also made me feel worse about this. I’m not afraid but I’m always afraid, if you know what I mean.
I hope I’m lucky enough to put myself in the way somehow but of course I pray it never happens.
They’re just babies. I don’t understand.
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 8:36 PM on October 6, 2022 [34 favorites]
How fucked up do you have to be to stab a bunch of preschoolers...?
So terrible. So sad.
Why are we capable of so much evil?
..............................
posted by Windopaene at 9:47 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
So terrible. So sad.
Why are we capable of so much evil?
..............................
posted by Windopaene at 9:47 PM on October 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
May the Thai people never be numb. Let the sorrow in their hearts prove they have one, an example for those who forget.
posted by adept256 at 10:00 PM on October 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by adept256 at 10:00 PM on October 6, 2022 [5 favorites]
bendy: > I hit post before I meant to, I had wanted to go into more thoughts about the story, mainly about the difference between this story in Thailand and how it's played out in the US.
Personally I find that the post works for me just as it is. We don't have to see everything in the light of comparing it to things in the US. Especially since some of us are not in the US.
Thank you for posting. This is the stuff of nightmares. I don't understand how anyone can do such a thing, and I suppose that not understanding that is something to be grateful for.
Those poor kids, those poor parents.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:56 AM on October 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Personally I find that the post works for me just as it is. We don't have to see everything in the light of comparing it to things in the US. Especially since some of us are not in the US.
Thank you for posting. This is the stuff of nightmares. I don't understand how anyone can do such a thing, and I suppose that not understanding that is something to be grateful for.
Those poor kids, those poor parents.
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:56 AM on October 7, 2022 [4 favorites]
Why do people choose to go after children? Like what in their mind rationalizes such a choice? These were babies. Tiny beings. I don't understand.
posted by The Adventure Begins at 2:52 AM on October 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by The Adventure Begins at 2:52 AM on October 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
What pisses me off the most is that these men (it's almost always a man, let's not pretend otherwise) are such victims and hate life and women and kids and whomever so much that they need to declare their unhappiness to the whole world by committing the worst crime they can think of—before ultimately suiciding. Seriously? What is that? Just check the fuck out if you don't want to live in this harsh world anymore. End of story. Leave others out of it.
But no, that's not splashy enough. They need to make a point before they dodge punishment for their crimes. But what are they proving? That they're powerful? In control? Alpha? Awesome. Let's keep applauding powerful men and raising boys to be ultra competitive sportos for whom losing is not an option. Arm them and make them "warriors" to prove their "manhood." What could possibly go wrong? God, I'm over this shit.
posted by heyho at 6:46 AM on October 7, 2022 [16 favorites]
But no, that's not splashy enough. They need to make a point before they dodge punishment for their crimes. But what are they proving? That they're powerful? In control? Alpha? Awesome. Let's keep applauding powerful men and raising boys to be ultra competitive sportos for whom losing is not an option. Arm them and make them "warriors" to prove their "manhood." What could possibly go wrong? God, I'm over this shit.
posted by heyho at 6:46 AM on October 7, 2022 [16 favorites]
heyho my thoughts exactly. why not just skip straight to killing themselves without the collateral damage first? but I think these men are angry at their (perceived) disenfranchisement and want some sort of vengeance or something? like the absolutely most horrific tantrum.
posted by supermedusa at 9:42 AM on October 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 9:42 AM on October 7, 2022 [7 favorites]
Ugh, I lived for a time not far from there. The thing that breaks my heart even more than it would be by such an event, is how much Thai people love children. And those poor parents, working in Bangkok and getting this call.
posted by lunasol at 11:38 AM on October 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 11:38 AM on October 7, 2022 [3 favorites]
CBC is reporting that a handgun, a shotgun, and a knife were involved, and that he killed his wife and child when he returned home.
posted by porpoise at 2:15 PM on October 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by porpoise at 2:15 PM on October 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
We don't have to see everything in the light of comparing it to things in the US. Especially since some of us are not in the US.
Too-Ticky, I totally get that. MeFi has always been US-centric and it comes up a lot as a complaint about the site. My initial thoughts on reading the article were along the lines of, "there was an FPP about Uvalde, why wasn't there one about this tragedy?" and "I want us to include important news from other countries."
I hoped that a side effect of comparing it to the US would be raising some awareness of other communities and/or a reminder that MeFi as a community is global.
posted by bendy at 6:05 PM on October 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Too-Ticky, I totally get that. MeFi has always been US-centric and it comes up a lot as a complaint about the site. My initial thoughts on reading the article were along the lines of, "there was an FPP about Uvalde, why wasn't there one about this tragedy?" and "I want us to include important news from other countries."
I hoped that a side effect of comparing it to the US would be raising some awareness of other communities and/or a reminder that MeFi as a community is global.
posted by bendy at 6:05 PM on October 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is beyond horrible. My thoughts are with the families and friends of all the people who passed.
posted by seawallrunner at 9:28 PM on October 7, 2022
posted by seawallrunner at 9:28 PM on October 7, 2022
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posted by supermedusa at 6:20 PM on October 6, 2022 [2 favorites]