Three students killed in rare Philippines school shooting

Two teenage students opened fire inside a high school in the central Philippines on Monday, killing three classmates and wounding seven others in a rare school shooting that prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to order a security review and a full investigation, police said.

The shooting happened at about 9 a.m. at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, a city on Leyte island southeast of Manila. Police said the suspects, ages 14 and 15, were students at the government-run school, which has more than 1,500 students.

Regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said the suspects, described as close friends, told investigators in initial questioning that they had been bullied at school. He did not elaborate. The BBC reported that investigators believe the shooting may have been motivated by a “grudge” over bullying.

“The two [suspects] went straight to the classroom. Without saying anything, they started firing,” national police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co told reporters, according to the BBC. “Initially, it appears that the motive of the crime is grudge for school bullying.”

Capoy said the attackers entered two classrooms. “The suspects barged into two rooms because after the shooting in the first, the children scampered and the suspects apparently ran after some victims into another room,” he told reporters. Most of the dead and wounded were female students, he said.

Police said more than 40 empty shells were recovered at the scene. Authorities said the suspects used a 9 mm pistol and a.38-caliber revolver. Co said the 9 mm pistol was registered to a policewoman in the region and that she was taken into custody, AFP reported. The BBC reported that the policewoman is a relative of one of the suspects. Co said the.38-caliber revolver was registered to a security agency in Cebu City. Police said it was not yet clear how the students obtained the weapons.

One suspect was arrested at the school after the attack. Accounts differed on the second suspect’s capture: police told CBS News he fled and hid in a nearby house before officers found him after residents alerted them, while Al Jazeera reported that Tacloban police chief Noelito Getigan said the second suspect later surrendered to authorities.

The wounded were taken to nearby medical facilities. The BBC, citing Co, reported that three people were injured by gunfire and four others were hurt in the panic to escape. Additional police personnel were deployed to secure the school and surrounding area.

Videos posted online showed frightened students hiding under desks in a closed classroom as gunshots rang out outside. Some students could be heard screaming, weeping and calling their mothers. Other footage showed students leaving the campus, some holding and embracing one another.

Marcos ordered a thorough investigation and directed authorities to strengthen security in schools, workplaces and public areas. “The president was saddened by this incident. Anybody, especially the parents of the victims, will feel sad and terrified,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

The Department of Education condemned the violence, expressed grave concern and offered condolences to victims’ families. The BBC reported that the education ministry and police announced a review of school security protocols, bullying policies and student behavioral monitoring systems.

The suspects had no criminal records, Capoy said. He said they were able to bring guns onto campus because only one guard was on duty at multiple entrances and exits.

Authorities urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information and cooperate with investigators. Gun crimes occur in the Philippines, but school shootings are rare. In 2022, a gunman opened fire at an Ateneo de Manila University law school graduation ceremony in Quezon City, killing three people, including former Lamitan City mayor Rose Furigay.