A high school campus in Zamboanga City descended into panic Tuesday when a student carrying two firearms opened fire, killing a fellow student before turning one of the weapons on himself.
Hundreds of terrified students were evacuated from the school building after gunshots rang out at a junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said the student appeared to have been wearing a body camera and may have been livestreaming the attack.
Two other people were injured, according to the mayor.
The suspect reportedly first opened fire at a teacher, although authorities had not immediately established whether the teacher was struck. He then allegedly shot a fellow student, killing the victim, before taking his own life, Olaso told DZBB radio.
The shooting sent students scrambling for safety inside the secured high school campus, which is separate from the university’s larger campus housing its colleges and professional schools.
Parents and guardians were urged to remain calm as authorities worked to evacuate students and organize their safe release.
Police said several hours later that the situation was under control.
National police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators were still working to determine exactly what led to the shooting. He appealed to the public not to circulate unverified reports, photographs or videos of the attack, warning that such material could cause unnecessary alarm.
Authorities said the safety of students, teachers and the wider school community remained their priority as investigators secured the scene and began piecing together what happened.
The attack comes just weeks after another deadly school shooting in the Philippines.
In June, three high school students were killed and at least 20 others were wounded in a shooting in central Tacloban City. Police subsequently arrested two students, aged 14 and 15, who were accused of carrying out the attack.
The latest violence is likely to renew questions about firearm security in Philippine schools and the availability of illegal guns.
While firearms are frequently used in crimes in the Philippines, largely amid the proliferation of unlicensed weapons, shootings inside schools remain relatively uncommon.
The circumstances surrounding Tuesday’s attack, including how the student obtained the two firearms and whether the shooting was planned or livestreamed, remained under investigation.
About The Author
