Three students were killed and eight others injured in a shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Friday, with authorities investigating the incident at Banga National High School in South Cotabato.
The suspected shooter, a 16-year-old student, was among those killed after turning the gun on himself, according to provincial officials. Four of the injured students were reported to be in critical condition.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said all those involved were students between 14 and 17 years old. The shooting occurred at about 1:30 p.m. local time at the school in Banga town on the island of Mindanao.
READ RELATED STORY
Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves over 100 dead, Philippines declares state of emergency
Mass protest planned in the Philippines over alleged corruption
Palencia told Reuters that the suspected shooter had spoken to friends before the attack.
“The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home,” Palencia said.
He said the student had warned his friends that he planned to carry out an attack after lunch, but they did not take him seriously because he was known as a joker.
According to Palencia, the student later opened fire on classmates before taking his own life. Authorities have not yet established what motivated the shooting.
Police secured Banga National High School following the incident and began an investigation. The Philippine Department of Education also said it was coordinating with local authorities while providing assistance to affected students and school personnel.
Classes were suspended across Banga municipality as emergency responders treated the injured and authorities worked to secure the school.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged parents to make sure firearms are kept away from minors. Officials have also appealed to the public to avoid spreading unverified information while investigations continue.
The shooting comes amid growing concern over a series of deadly incidents at schools in the Philippines. Reuters reported that it was the country’s third fatal school shooting since June, when three students were killed and about 20 others injured at a public high school in Tacloban.
Last month, another student in Zamboanga, also in the southern Philippines, live-streamed himself shooting and killing a fellow student before taking his own life.
Although the Philippines has relatively strict regulations governing gun ownership, including background checks and psychological assessments, illegal firearms remain in circulation.
Authorities are expected to investigate how the teenage suspect obtained the weapon and what circumstances led to the attack.
The latest shooting has renewed concerns about safety in Philippine schools, particularly following several violent incidents involving students in recent months. The investigation into Friday’s attack remains ongoing.
