Philippine student warned about school-shooting that killed 3; friends laughed
What's the story
Three students were killed in a school shooting in Banga town, South Cotabato, Philippines, on Friday. The deceased include a 16-year-old suspected gunman who died by suicide. Eight others were also injured in the incident, four of whom are said to be in critical condition. All victims were aged between 14 and 17 years old.
Pre-incident warning
Suspect warned friends before attack
Albert Palencia, the mayor of Banga town, revealed that the suspected gunman had warned his friends about his plans before the attack.
"The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home 'because after lunch, I will be executing my plan.' His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker," Palencia said.
"After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself," Palencia added.
Rising violence
Other deadly school shootings
This incident comes on the heels of two other deadly school shootings in recent months.
In August, a student in Zamboanga live-streamed a shooting that killed another student before he took his own life.
In June, an attack at Tacloban high school left at least three students dead and around 20 others injured when two classmates opened fire on campus.
Policy concerns
Gun ownership regulations in Philippines
Despite relatively strict gun ownership regulations in the Philippines, including background checks and psychological evaluations, illegal firearms continue to circulate.
South Cotabato governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged parents to ensure guns were kept out of reach of children.
"We need to be responsible in storing firearms. Gun owners, in particular, must make sure that minors do not have access to them," Tamayo told Reuters.
The incident also comes after a high-profile shooting rampage at a school near Bangkok, Thailand in August.