4 killed, 9 injured in high school shooting in Philippines
What's the story
A Grade 9 school student carrying two firearms shot a fellow student, a Grade 10 student, and two security guards before killing himself in the southern Philippines. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday at a school affiliated with the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City. Nine were also injured in a shooting, The Manila Times reported. The shooter was armed with both a rifle and a pistol during the attack.
Mayor
Suspect opened fire inside 'without apparent provocatio'
Authorities said the suspect opened fire inside a classroom "without apparent provocation."
Zamboanga city's mayor, Khymer Adan Olaso, told radio station DZMM the shooter "managed to enter carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45 caliber pistol."
Referring to a viral video of the shooting, he said, "In the video, we see...he first shot at the teacher who was sitting at a table."
"It seems he missed, then moved to another room...he shot another student."
Safety assurance
Authorities investigating the incident
University President Ernald Andal confirmed that the situation is now under control and there are no active threats on campus.
"We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all our students," Andal said.
Local authorities are investigating the incident with crime scene investigators present on the school premises.
Rising violence
Second school shooting in 2 months
This incident is the second school shooting in the Philippines within two months.
In June, a similar attack at a public high school in Tacloban City left three students dead and around 20 others injured.
The government had responded by banning an online game called Gorebox after it was found at least one of the alleged shooters regularly played it.
Uncommon incidents
Concerns over 'copycat phenomenon'
However, the Department of Education informed a Senate committee last month that more support was needed to prevent a "copycat phenomenon" as more episodes of violence followed the shooting, including bomb threats, stabbings, and the seizure of firearms and ammo, according to local media.
School shootings are relatively rare in the Philippines due to strict gun ownership laws that require background checks and psychological evaluations.
But illegal firearms still circulate.