A former police officer who attacked a day care center in Thailand on Thursday bought the 9-millimeter gun he used, officials said, a move that focused new scrutiny on rules that allow soldiers and law enforcement officers to buy personal firearms from the government.
Such buyers are not subject to the checks that apply to civilians under the regulations. The attacker, Panya Kamrab, had been fired from the police force after he was arrested while possessing methamphetamine. It was not clear when he bought the gun and whether he was using drugs at the time.
Experts say legal loopholes help explain why there are an estimated 10 million guns in Thailand and why the country has such a large black market for firearms.
After Thailand's last mass shooting, when a disgruntled army sergeant killed 29 people and wounded dozens more in 2020, investigators found that he was the legal owner of five firearms.