A student armed with two firearms shot and killed a fellow pupil before taking his own life at a high school in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines on Tuesday morning, marking the country's second school shooting in less than two months.
The attack took place at around 7:45 a.m. at the junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a privately run institution in Zamboanga City, a port city on the western tip of Mindanao island. Police said the gunman, a Grade 7 student and a minor, entered Room 404 of the campus building and shot a 10th-grade student, killing him. He then moved to the third floor, where he shot himself. Two other people were reported injured. Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso said the suspect appeared to have worn a body camera to livestream the attack, and that he had initially fired at a teacher, who was unharmed. The university's president, Father Guillrey Anthony Andal, confirmed the situation was under control and that there were no additional fatalities. Students were evacuated and classes suspended. Ironically, Andal noted, the shooting occurred shortly after the university's security team had conducted simulation exercises to prepare for precisely such an incident.
Investigators found two 9mm pistols at the scene, and police said the attack appeared to have been premeditated. At least one of the weapons had been officially issued to the shooter's father, who serves as the Enforcement and Security Service District commander at the port of Zamboanga under the Bureau of Customs. The bureau's chief, Ariel Nepomuceno, confirmed this and said he immediately relieved the father of his duties to allow an impartial investigation. The mayor described the shooter as a "very bright student" who was reportedly an avid user of Roblox, an online gaming platform that has faced growing scrutiny in the Philippines over child safety and the risk of exposure to violent content.
The incident has prompted calls from teachers' groups, health advocates and officials for strengthened mental health services in schools, a review of how minors can access firearms, and potential restrictions on violent online games. The Department of Education said it was "gravely concerned" and was coordinating with mental health partners to provide psychological support to affected students and staff.
School shootings remain rare in the Philippines, which maintains relatively strict gun ownership regulations — including mandatory background checks and psychological evaluations — though illegal and improperly secured firearms continue to circulate. Tuesday's attack follows a shooting in June at a public high school in Tacloban City, on the central island of Leyte, in which at least three students were killed and around 20 injured. The regional pattern has drawn wider attention: the Philippines incident comes less than two weeks after a 14-year-old student killed seven people, including classmates and school staff, at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, prompting that country's government to announce new gun restrictions.