Philippines school shooting: Student kills classmate, takes own life
Manila: A 10th-grade student was shot dead at a high school in the southern Philippines on Tuesday before the gunman turned the weapon on himself, according to police and local officials.
The attack — the country's second school shooting in as many months — took place at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a private Catholic institution in western Mindanao.
Regional police reported that a ninth-grade student brought a pistol and a rifle onto the school campus and opened fire inside a classroom, killing one student before committing suicide. Hundreds of students were evacuated to safety as police moved in to secure the site.
"The investigation is ongoing... We are still trying to identify the motive," police spokeswoman Shella Chang told AFP, adding that crime scene investigators were processing the premises.
National Police Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. confirmed that authorities were establishing the circumstances surrounding the event.
"Authorities are currently establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident," Nartatez said in a statement. The police "will provide verified information as appropriate and appeals to the public to refrain from sharing unconfirmed reports, photos, or videos that may cause unnecessary concern".
He added that the force wished to "assure the public that the safety and well-being of the school community remain a priority. We thank the school administration, parents, guardians, and the community for their patience, cooperation and understanding as authorities continue to manage the situation."
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso revealed that the suspect appeared to have worn a body camera to livestream the assault on Facebook. He noted that two other individuals suffered injuries during the attack.
In footage circulated by local media that appeared to have been broadcast live, the barrel of a firearm is seen moving along a corridor in the style of a first-person shooter video game before being aimed into a classroom and discharged. Children clad in school uniforms are shown screaming and fleeing toward exits.
The suspect's Facebook account has since been disabled.
"In the video, we see that he first shot at the teacher who was sitting at a table," Olaso told radio station DZBB. "It seems he missed, then moved to another room... He shot another student there."
The university administration confirmed both fatalities and moved to secure the perimeter.
"We have already coordinated with parents and guardians to pick up their children and the university has ensured the safety of those remaining on campus," the school stated.
The high school building sits within a secured zone separated from the primary university campus, which houses higher education and professional colleges in the port city. Hours after the shooting, police confirmed the situation was fully under control and urged parents to follow official collection protocols.
School shootings remain relatively rare in the Philippines, though gun-related crime is prevalent due to a widespread illegal firearms market, despite strict regulation for legal ownership.
The incident occurred despite promises of heightened school security following a June shooting in central Tacloban city, where three high school students were killed and at least 20 others wounded. Two students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested over that incident.
Just last month, Ateneo de Zamboanga participated in nationwide active-shooter drills designed to prepare educational facilities for potential violence.
The tragedy also follows a deadly school shooting in neighbouring Thailand less than two weeks ago. In that attack, a 14-year-old boy killed his grandparents, five school staff members, and a 12-year-old girl in Nonthaburi province outside Bangkok, prompting Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to move toward tighter gun controls. Thailand holds the second-highest rate of gun ownership in Asia behind Pakistan.
AP/AFP