TWO KILLED IN SHOOTING AT PHILIPPINE SECONDARY SCHOOL

A student opened fire at a secondary school attached to Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, killing another student before taking his own life, according to local police and the city mayor. The suspected gunman, a Grade 9 student, brought both a pistol and a rifle onto campus and fired at students inside a classroom. Zamboanga City mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said the suspect initially fired at a teacher, then shot a Grade 10 male student who died, before killing himself. Two other people were injured in the attack.

The suspect wore a body camera and live-streamed the shooting on Facebook, according to Olaso. One report said the suspect fired a "high-powered firearm", whilst Olaso told radio station DZMM that the shooter "managed to enter carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45 calibre pistol". Hundreds of students were evacuated from the campus after gunshots rang out. University president Ernald Andal confirmed there was no longer an active shooting and no additional fatalities beyond the two deaths, and said the university was coordinating with authorities.

The shooting marks the second fatal school shooting in the Philippines in two months. In June, two students opened fire at a public secondary school in Tacloban City, killing three students and injuring around 20 others. Following that attack, the government banned an online game, Gorebox, after it was discovered at least one alleged shooter regularly played it. The department of education subsequently told a senate committee that more support was needed to prevent a "copycat phenomenon", as additional incidents of violence followed, including bomb threats, stabbings and the recovery of firearms and ammunition.