3 Students Killed In Philippine School Shooting, Officials Say

Two students were killed in a school shooting in the southern Philippines, according to officials. A 16-year-old suspect also died after turning the gun on himself, marking the third such incident at educational institutions in the country this year. The shooting occurred at Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday. Provincial officials confirmed that the suspect, a student at the school, opened fire on classmates before taking his own life. Eight others were injured, with four in critical condition. All victims were students aged between 14 and 17. The incident followed two other fatal school shootings in the Philippines since June. In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus. Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga before taking his own life. Local authorities described the suspect as a known joker who had allegedly warned friends during lunch that he intended to carry out an action. His friends dismissed the warning, thinking he was joking. After lunch, the suspect began firing at students, hitting 10 before killing himself. Governor Reynaldo Tamayo of South Cotabato called for greater responsibility in firearm storage, urging gun owners to keep weapons away from minors. “We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students,” Tamayo said. “We need to work together because otherwise this will be very difficult for us to address.” The mayor of Banga, Albert Palencia, stated that police discovered posts made by the suspect in an online community where young people involved in school shootings are “idolized.” According to Palencia, the shooter’s mother had planned to take him to a psychiatrist. The weapon used in the attack, believed to be a 9mm gun, was reportedly owned by the suspect’s father, a Department of Education employee, and had been stored in a locked vault. The education department expressed deep concern over the incident, stating its immediate priority was the safety and well-being of students, teachers, and staff. Classes have been suspended at all levels in the entire municipality of Banga following the shooting. The Philippines Red Cross was alerted to the incident at 14:00 local time and sent an ambulance with four paramedics to assist. Police are currently investigating the scene. Gun crime is not uncommon in the Philippines, which has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region. While school shootings are rare, this incident marks the third deadly campus shooting in the last four months.