BANGKOK - The 14-year-old boy who allegedly killed seven people in a shooting rampage on Aug 7 was said to have been a quiet, reserved boy raised by loving grandparents.

The teen allegedly took a registered gun belonging to his grandfather to carry out the shootings. Police said he killed his grandparents at home before heading to school, where he killed two teachers and three other school staff members before turning the gun on himself. At least 23 others were also injured.

He died while he was being taken to hospital.

Samang Chaisorn, his aunt, said her nephew kept to himself and did not have many friends.

“He wasn’t particularly cheerful; he was just very quiet,” she told The Straits Times.

She said that when she heard there had been a shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, she called the teen’s grandfather to pick him up but could not reach him.

She did not know then that her nephew was the alleged gunman.

“When I arrived at the house, it was locked, and we couldn’t get inside. The village headman noticed that the air conditioner was still running, so he brought a saw to cut through and get inside,” she said. “When we entered, we found that they had already died.”

Pannatorn Temrak, the headman of Bangkurad subdistrict, where the grandparents lived, was among the first to enter their house.

“When we went inside, we found the grandfather’s body downstairs near the kitchen. He had been shot in the back of the head,” said Pannatorn, who knew the family personally.