A local government official was rushed to the hospital after being shot at a public administration office in Nonthaburi, located on the outskirts of Thailand’s capital, on Monday, authorities confirmed.

A gunman was apprehended by law enforcement following the incident, which occurred just days after a teenager’s lethal shooting spree at a nearby school in the same province reignited nationwide debates over firearms regulations.

Major General Dejrapee Kongdee, the provincial police commander, stated that the suspected assailant, who is a former member of parliament, opened fire targeting a senior provincial administrative leader and his driver.

“There were two individuals injured, who have been transported to the hospital for medical care,” Dejrapee reported, as quoted by media outlets.

The alleged shooter, Chalong Reawraeng, previously served three terms as a lawmaker, most recently aligned with the Pheu Thai political party.

The 71-year-old was famously referred to as a “cobra” in Thai political circles in 1997 after casting his vote for a prime ministerial candidate from an opposing political party.

He participated in the latest general election under the platform of the ruling Bhumjaithai party, though he failed to secure a parliamentary seat.

Chalong’s intended victim, Thongchai Yenprasert, is a retired police officer who currently serves as the president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation.

The 71-year-old victim joined the police service in 1984 and served as both deputy superintendent and superintendent across multiple district police stations within Nonthaburi, adjacent to Bangkok.

Chalong claimed he had sought financial or administrative assistance from Thongchai due to personal difficulties, but his requests were repeatedly turned down.

However, the exact motivation behind the gun attack remains subject to ongoing police investigations.

This latest violent episode comes shortly after nine individuals were killed and over 20 wounded when a 14-year-old boy fatally shot his grandparents before opening fire inside Debsirin Nonthaburi School on Friday, ultimately turning the weapon on himself.

That tragedy stood as the country’s deadliest mass shooting event in nearly four years.

Thai students returned to their classrooms on Monday under heightened security protocols, with several schools requiring students to pass through metal detectors and undergo physical checks.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated his administration’s determination to enact stricter gun legislation in the wake of the school assault.

The school attack, which left dozens injured alongside the fatalities, marked Thailand’s worst mass casualty shooting since 2022 and has intensified calls for legislative reforms on firearm ownership across Southeast Asia’s most armed nation.