A deadly shooting that claimed three lives and left seven others injured has shaken a public high school in the central Philippines, triggering urgent calls for nationwide security upgrades across educational institutions and public spaces. According to local law enforcement, the attack was carried out on Monday morning by two of the school’s own students, aged 14 and 15, who each carried a loaded pistol when they carried out the assault.
Brigadier General Jason Capoy, regional police chief for the area, confirmed that both suspects and all victims were enrolled at San Jose National High School, a government-run campus with more than 1,500 students located in Tacloban City. The shooting unfolded shortly after mid-morning, when the two teens, who are reported to be close friends, forced their way into multiple classrooms on campus. After opening fire in the first classroom, the assailants chased fleeing students into a second room to continue the attack, Capoy told reporters.
Most of the casualties were female students, Capoy added. Three victims ultimately died from their injuries, while seven others were hospitalized with wounds. Following the shooting, one suspect was taken into custody directly on school grounds. The second teen attempted to escape and hid in a nearby residential home, but local residents tipped off law enforcement to his location, leading to his quick arrest.
Initial police interviews with the suspects have yielded a preliminary potential motive: the pair told investigators they had been subjected to prolonged bullying at the school, though Capoy declined to share further details on the claim. At this stage of the investigation, authorities have not been able to confirm where the teens obtained the two pistols used in the attack. Neither suspect has any prior criminal record, law enforcement officials confirmed.
The shooting was able to occur in large part due to lax campus security protocols, Capoy acknowledged. The school relies on only one security guard to monitor multiple entry and exit points, which allowed the suspects to smuggle their firearms onto campus undetected. Investigations into the full circumstances of the attack remain ongoing as authorities piece together a full timeline of events.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a full, thorough probe into the incident and directed law enforcement agencies to immediately ramp up security measures at all schools, workplaces, and public gathering spaces across the country, according to Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro. “The president was saddened by this incident,” Castro told reporters. “Anybody, especially the parents of the victims, will feel sad and terrified.”
The Philippine National Police has issued a public appeal for calm, asking community members to come forward with any information that could support the ongoing investigation into the shooting.
Gun-related crime remains a persistent issue across the Philippines, driven largely by the widespread proliferation of unregistered and unlicensed firearms in private hands. Unlike many other countries grappling with gun violence, however, school shootings remain a relatively rare occurrence in the nation.