Khon Kaen School Closes After Shooting Threat Posted Online

Khon Kaen school shuts after ‘mass shooting’ threatLegacyA school in Khon Kaen has moved classes online for a day after someone reportedly posted the words “mass shooting” in a LINE group used for student activities, prompting a heavy police presence around the campus today. Kalayanawat School announced the change on Wednesday night, saying it needed time to verify the information and assess the situation before students returned to campus. The post appeared in the school’s student activity group, which has 562 members, according to reports. The school said in a notice, signed by Director Apichat Un-koet, that students would study from home on Friday, August 21, following their normal timetables through teachers’ usual online channels. Teaching and administrative staff were still required to report to the school as usual, with teachers delivering lessons online from campus. Police Colonel Yodsawat Kaewsuebthanyanit, superintendent of Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station, said he ordered crime prevention and investigation officers, along with traffic police, to secure the area around the school from early Friday morning. Officers tightened checks at entrances and exits and monitored for suspicious people or vehicles, working in real time with school administrators and teachers to assess the situation. According to information obtained by reporters, the school, located about 300 metres from Muang Khon Kaen Police Station, took the decision after students got into an argument in the Line group the previous day. One student reportedly used the words “mass shooting” during the exchange before leaving the group, though no specific target was named. The school then contacted Muang Khon Kaen Police Station and adjusted its teaching plan while the matter was investigated. Yodsawat said police believed they had identified a person of interest but had not yet confirmed the poster’s identity. He said officers were treating the case with caution given the potential for copycat behaviour, and noted that spreading false information likely to cause public alarm falls under Section 384 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of one month in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both. The school said it was working with relevant agencies to verify the information and asked parents to closely supervise their children during the online learning day. Related news:

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