Lieutenant Colonel opened fire, shooting his mother-in-law and wife outside a fitness center in Buriram Province. The mother-in-law survived while the wife died. After the shooting, the suspect tried to flee but was chased down and subdued by fitness instructors before being handed over to police.
On 17 June 2026 at 15:20, Siam Ruamjai Pu In Rescue Unit was notified of a shooting behind the Sar Ya Ma Market in Nang Rong Subdistrict, Nang Rong District, Buriram Province. They contacted Nang Rong Police Station, which promptly dispatched officers to the scene.
At the scene, in front of a two-story, two-unit fitness center, rescuers found Ms. Triraya, or Bam, 37, from Nong Ki District, Buriram Province, lying in a pool of blood. She had a gunshot wound to the head. Initial checks found no pulse; rescuers performed CPR and transported her to the hospital, but she later died.
Nearby, Mrs. Mantana, 58, mother of Triraya, was also found bleeding. She had been shot in the right shoulder, but the bullet missed vital areas. Rescuers took her to Nang Rong Hospital, where her condition is now stable. The suspect, Lieutenant Colonel Theeraphong, tried to flee but was caught by two fitness instructors who chased and subdued him.
Ms. Aey, a witness, said she lives across the street and saw a man with a shaved head grab the mother by the neck and shoot her once, causing her to fall. He then called out to his wife, “Bam, come here,” and shot her twice, causing both women to collapse in pools of blood.
Mr. Prachuap, 57, a contractor working on the fitness center’s second floor, heard a quarrel but initially ignored it. Then he heard three gunshots and looked out to see fitness instructors chasing the shooter. He joined in the pursuit and helped restrain the gunman, sustaining a leg injury in the process. He said he did not know the motive.
So far, the motive and reasons behind the officer’s actions remain unclear. Sources indicate the couple had lived apart for about three years with two children aged nine and five. Although the wife sought a divorce, the husband refused to grant it.
The wife’s family is well-established and respected in Nang Rong and Nong Ki districts. Police are investigating to determine the facts, with jealousy considered the main motive.