A GRADE 9 student livestreamed himself shooting another schoolmate dead before taking his own life at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Santa Maria town on Tuesday, authorities said.
It was the country’s second school shooting in as many months.
“What we know so far is that [the shooter] went to the classroom of our known victim. He shot the victim, and after doing that, he went up to the fifth floor and shot himself,” regional police spokeswoman Shella Chang said.
In a separate statement, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed the ninth-grade suspect had livestreamed the incident on social media. The alleged shooter’s Facebook account has since been disabled.
In the video, which was circulated by local media, the barrel of a gun can be seen moving down a hallway in the style of a first-person shooter video game before being pointed into a classroom and fired.
Children in school uniforms are then seen screaming and rushing for an exit.
It was not immediately clear how many were injured.
The shooting occurred at 7:50 a.m.
An initial police report said the Grade 9 shooter brought two firearms inside the campus — one standard pistol and another pistol fitted with a Roni Conversion Kit to make it look like a rifle.
Once inside the classrooms, the shooter opened fire, fatally wounding a Grade 10 student and causing a pandemonium.
The shooter then fled to the fifth floor where he turned the firearm on himself and committed suicide, police said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said they were trying to “establish the motive behind the shooting, determine the ownership and source of the firearm used, and find out how it was brought inside the school campus.” Remulla said a full investigation was underway.
“We cannot tell as of now (reason for the shooting). We still have to do a full investigative report, analysis on his social media, interview with his parents, with the school. This is complicated... it will take a few maybe a day or two before we get the whole picture,” Remulla said in English and Filipino.
During the Tacloban shooting in June, the 14-year-old shooter was found out to be addicted to violent online games. Remulla said authorities are also investigating if the Grade 9 shooter had the same exposure.
“We will also look into his gaming history and his chat history, so we cannot come up with a complete answer... regarding why this happened,” he said.
Remulla said they were also investigating how the firearms got through school security.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered police personnel to immediately coordinate with school authorities and other concerned agencies to ensure the safety and orderly movement of students, faculty, and school personnel.
Ateneo de Zamboanga president Fr. Guillrey Andal, confirming the two fatalities, said the school was “deeply saddened” by the shooting and was cooperating with the investigation.
“We are in process of working with the police for us to be able to identify them, so that we can communicate first with their loved ones,” he told reporters outside the school, acknowledging the incident had caused “deep concern and worry.” “Prior to this, our security team had even been preparing a simulation exercise, precisely because we understand the value to everyone — our students, our personnel — of safety.” School shootings are rare in the Philippines, but three teenage students were killed and 20 others wounded in an attack at a school in the central Philippines in June.
Ateneo de Zamboanga last month became one of many schools across the country to conduct active shooter drills in the wake of that tragedy.
Customs-issued gun
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Deputy Commissioner Nolasco Bathan confirmed that one of the two guns used by the Grade 9 shooter was a Customs-issued firearm.
“I am confirming that the gun used was a BOC-issued firearm. The other one was his personal firearm, but it is licensed, as per the verification certification from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office,” he said in Filipino.
Bathan said the BOC-issued firearm was a Glock pistol. Shortly after the incident, the BOC ordered the relief of the district commander of its Enforcement and Security Services (ESS) in Zamboanga port, who is the father of the Grade 9 shooter.
Bathan said he has not spoken to the ESS chief yet who, at the moment, is still reportedly in a state of shock.
In a phone interview with reporters, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said that although the Customs police chief of Zamboanga port has nothing to do with the incident, the relief order was issued because an investigation is ongoing.
“The suspect — whose father works at the BOC — committed suicide. Of course, I am saddened that his child became involved; it is a tragic incident. However, I had to have the father relieved of his duties immediately, even though he had no direct hand in the actual shooting,” Nepomuceno said.
Tragedy that should never happen
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his grief to families affected by the shooting, saying such tragedies should never happen.
“Our schools are where we entrust our children to learn, to grow and to dream about the lives ahead of them. They must also be among the safest places in our country,” Marcos said.
He added that he has mandated government agencies to investigate the incident.
“We will work with our schools and communities to strengthen the safeguards that protect our students and ensure that they can pursue their education without fear,” the president added.
“Every Filipino family deserves that assurance,” Marcos said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) said it is coordinating with mental health professionals to provide immediate psychological first aid and psychosocial support to affected students and personnel.
The agency urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified details or graphic footage of the incident on social media platforms out of respect for the victims and involved minors.
Stronger safeguards sought
Several senators on Tuesday called for stronger measures to keep schools safe following the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
In a statement, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that strengthening school safety requires a comprehensive response that goes beyond legislation and security measures.
“As a parent, I know the impact that social isolation can have on our loved ones. It seems to weaken empathy and contribute to cruelty when almost all social interactions (playing, studying, shopping, etc.) take place online, with very little face-to-face interaction,” he added.
Pangilinan called for stronger school safety measures, including increased funding for guidance counselors, psychologists and mental health services.
He also urged authorities to address online bullying, cyber “terror-grooming” and the spread of violent content, while calling for tighter gun ownership regulations.
However, Pangilinan stressed that laws, safeguards and funding alone would not be enough to address the crisis.
He also warned against public officials and social media influencers using language that normalizes violence, cruelty or killing, saying such messages could have dangerous effects on young people who are still learning to manage anger, sadness and other difficult emotions.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said it was difficult to accept that the Philippines was facing another school shooting, adding that it was too early to determine whether the Zamboanga incident was connected to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) or other online communities being examined following the Tacloban shooting in June.
Hontiveros, chairman of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, said the committee would continue its work on NVE, online grooming for serious violent activity and other threats to children’s safety at its next hearing on Thursday.
“Our families should not have to learn to live with this kind of fear. You can count on us to do everything we can to mobilize the government and protect our children,” Hontiveros said.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called for stronger efforts to prevent school violence and promote values that uphold human life following the shooting.
Speaker Faustino Dy III and several other members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday pushed for stronger safeguards for students after the shooting.
In a statement, Dy vowed that the chamber, under his watch, would “look for the gaps before another family has to bury a child.” “We need to understand why and how this happened, what may have prevented it, and what we must change to keep our children safe in school,” the House leader said.
“Our response will be guided by facts and evidence. We will listen to experts and review studies, research, and the experiences of other countries. And most of all, we will listen to parents, teachers, and young people themselves,” he added.
Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña called for immediate action to prevent a similar incident in the future.
“What’s going on?! How did a gun get into the school again?” de Lima said in Filipino in a statement.
“It’s very alarming that less than two months after the Tacloban school shooting, another act of violence like this has occurred.” She also warned about the influence of social media and video games on young people.
“The bad side of social media and video games exerting pernicious influence on young people are now in full view. Forms of violence never seen before in our country. Urgent and effective safeguards are needed to prevent similar tragic incidents.” Cendaña said the shooting was both “disheartening and alarming” and lamented that violence in schools appeared to be becoming normalized.
“Schools should be safe spaces for learning and creativity, not places for our kids to fear for their lives,” he said.
Cendaña urged the government to provide medical and psychosocial support to victims, survivors and their families. He also called on Congress to pass the Child Safety Against Gun Violence Act to restrict minors’ access to firearms and make schools gun-free zones.
House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Chairman and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said the shooting underscored the urgent
need to strengthen protections for learners while addressing factors that may contribute to youth violence, including mental health concerns, bullying, access to weapons and other risks to children and communities.
Romulo said safeguarding children requires coordinated action among families, schools, communities and government institutions, with efforts focused on early intervention, peaceful conflict resolution, and safe and nurturing learning environments.
The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) on Tuesday expressed sadness and concern over the shooting. In a statement, the CWC expressed condolences to the families of the victims and to the entire school community.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and by the continuing emergence of reports of violence involving children. Behind every headline are children who may be affected for the rest of their lives and families experiencing profound pain. The safety, dignity, privacy, and well-being of children must always come first. Whether a child is a victim, a witness, or a child involved with the law, a child remains a child and deserves to have their rights protected,” CWC Executive Director 5 Undersecretary Angelo Tapales said in Filipino.
WITH CATHERINE VALENTE, KRISTINA MARALIT, RED MENDOZA, JAMES DANIEL DANIO, ARIC JOHN SY CUA, AFP
