Three teenage students were killed and seven others injured after two armed minors opened fire at a high school in the central Philippines on Monday morning, according to state media. The two suspects, both Grade 9 students, have been apprehended.
Incident Details
The shooting occurred at around 9 am local time at the government-run San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte province, as reported by the Philippine News Agency. Classes were underway when the suspects entered the campus and began shooting, according to the Tacloban City Police Office.
A Grade 9 student was apprehended shortly after the incident, and a second suspect, also a Grade 9 learner, was arrested several hours later with the assistance of residents from a nearby community, the police office said.
Government Response
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has called for a thorough investigation, while authorities tightened security and appealed for calm as the probe continues. The country's Department of Education (DepEd) expressed grave concern over the shooting incident and assured the public of coordinated response efforts with authorities on the ground. "We are working hand-in-hand with relevant government agencies to deploy critical medical assistance and appropriate psychosocial interventions for the affected learners and personnel," they said.
The Jakarta Post cited President Marcos's spokeswoman Claire Castro as saying that he had been "saddened by what happened". "Anyone, especially the parents of the victims, would feel grief and fear," Castro told reporters, adding that unspecified measures were being taken to ensure safety at public spaces, including schools.
Previous Incidents
The publication reported that in 2022, three people, including a former city mayor, were killed in a shooting incident before a graduation ceremony at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippine capital. It was later determined to have been an assassination driven by "personal motives".
