Zamboanga city: A shooting at a high school in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines, on Tuesday has killed two students, one of whom was the shooter. Authorities said the situation is now under control. This is the second school shooting in the Philippines in less than two months.
According to Thai News Agency, initial reports indicate that the incident occurred inside the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Demonstration Secondary School, a private educational institution. A 9th-grade student, equivalent to the 3rd year of secondary school in Thailand, brought a handgun and a rifle into the school grounds before opening fire on students inside a classroom. One male 4th-year secondary school student was killed, after which the perpetrator shot himself dead.
University Chancellor Ernald Andal confirmed that the situation had ended and there were no further reports of fatalities or injuries. He stated that the institution did not want such an incident to happen and that the safety of all students is the highest priority.
Footage from ABC-CBN News Channel showed groups of students and parents gathered in shock at the school gates, where police and military personnel had secured the area. Forensic investigators had also arrived at the scene, a five-story building situated on approximately 50 rai of land, used as a classroom for primary and lower secondary school students.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered law enforcement agencies to expedite investigations and implement preventative measures to prevent a recurrence of school violence. In a statement, President Marcos said schools are places where parents entrust their children to learn, grow, and envision their future; therefore, educational institutions must be among the safest places in the country.
This incident marks the second mass shooting at an educational institution in the Philippines in a short period of time, following a June incident at a public high school in Tacloban City, where two students opened fire on classmates, resulting in at least three deaths and around 20 injuries.
School shootings are rare in the Philippines due to strict gun control laws, including background checks and psychological assessments, even though illegal firearms still exist in society.