UDON THANI: A teacher shot his 21-year-old autistic son dead before turning the gun on himself in Muang district, police said yesterday.
The bodies of the father and son, who police did not name, were found along with a suicide note at their home in tambon Mak Khaeng in Udon Thani municipality. Both suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
A .38-calibre handgun was found next to the 50-year-old father.
The police and a doctor were alerted shortly before 7am yesterday. The doctor estimated the two had been dead about five hours before being discovered, Pol Lt Col Singharaj Kaewkerdme of Udon Thani police station said.
A note addressed to family members was found near the body of the father, a music teacher at a public school in the province. In the note he asked for forgiveness for his actions and asked relatives to help look after his wife and 10-year-old daughter.
The man's father-in-law said the dead man had been a good provider for his family and had taken good care of his autistic son. However, he had complained about his family going through hard times.
The father-in-law said the dead man had earlier tended to his rice field and had dinner with the family as usual. He went to bed at the same time as his son on the first floor of the house.
Other family members living in the house said they did not hear any shots. But a neighbour told police he heard sounds similar to gunshots around 2am.
The bodies were discovered several hours later. The police suspect the man was stressed from looking after his autistic son.