MANILA: A shooting at a high school in the southern Philippines on Friday, Sept. 18, left three students dead and eight others injured, including four who were in critical condition, after a 16-year-old student opened fire at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, authorities said.
The shooting sent shock waves through the community and prompted authorities to immediately suspend classes across the municipality. Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said the suspected shooter was a ninth-grade student. The three people killed included the suspect, who turned the gun on himself after the attack.
The victims were between 14 and 17 years old, according to Palencia. Palencia said the student had reportedly warned friends before the shooting that he planned to carry out an attack after lunch. His friends reportedly did not take the warning seriously because they knew him as someone who often joked.
The suspect then entered another classroom and opened fire, hitting several students before taking his own life, Palencia said. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Police are also examining reports that the student had been connected to an online “true crime” community focused on violent crimes.
Authorities have not established whether the online group played a role in the shooting. The Department of Education said it was deeply concerned about the incident and was working with school officials, local authorities and law enforcement to understand what happened and support those affected.
The shooting is the latest in a series of deadly school attacks in the Philippines. It follows a shooting in Zamboanga last month in which a student killed another student before taking his own life. In June, two students reportedly opened fire at a public high school in Tacloban, killing at least three students and injuring about 20 others.
The Philippines has relatively strict firearm regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluations for gun ownership, although authorities continue to deal with the circulation of illegal weapons. Authorities have not announced a confirmed motive for Friday's shooting.
