A school shooting at a Catholic university in the southern Philippines has left two people dead after a ninth-grade student allegedly entered a classroom, shot another student and later killed himself, authorities said.
The incident occurred Tuesday at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in western Mindanao, marking the second deadly school shooting in the Philippines within two months.
Regional police spokeswoman Shella Chang said the suspect first went to the classroom of the victim before firing at the student.
The suspect then reportedly went to the fifth floor of the school building, where he shot himself.
Authorities investigate alleged social media livestream
Interior Secretary Victor Remulla said the suspect had livestreamed the shooting on social media.
Local media circulated footage that allegedly showed the attack from the shooter’s perspective. The video appeared to show a firearm moving through a school hallway before being directed toward a classroom, followed by gunfire.
Students wearing school uniforms could then be seen fleeing the area as screams were heard.
The Facebook account reportedly used by the suspect has since been disabled.
Authorities have not said how many people, if any, were wounded in addition to the two fatalities.
Police search for the motive and source of the gun
Investigators are now attempting to establish what prompted the attack and how the firearm entered the school.
The interior ministry said police were examining the motive, investigating who owned or supplied the weapon and determining how it was brought onto the campus.
Officials had not immediately released the ages of either the suspected shooter or the victim.
The investigation is expected to focus heavily on the circumstances surrounding the firearm, particularly given the country’s strict regulations governing legal gun ownership.
School confirms two deaths
Ateneo de Zamboanga president Father Guillrey Andal confirmed that two people had died and said the institution was cooperating with authorities.
The university, he said, was working with police to identify those involved so their families could be contacted.
Andal also acknowledged the fear and uncertainty caused by the attack, saying the incident had generated deep concern throughout the school community.
Security preparations were already underway
The shooting came as schools across the Philippines have been reassessing their security procedures following another deadly attack earlier this year.
Andal said the school’s security team had already been preparing an active-shooter simulation before Tuesday’s incident, reflecting the growing awareness of the potential threat.
The university was among schools that conducted emergency response exercises following a deadly shooting in June.
The timing has raised renewed questions about whether existing security measures can adequately protect students despite efforts to prepare for such emergencies.
Second deadly school attack in two months
School shootings remain relatively uncommon in the Philippines, making the latest incident particularly alarming.
In June, three teenage students were killed and another 20 people wounded in an attack at a school in the central Philippines.
That shooting prompted schools around the country to conduct active-shooter drills and reconsider emergency procedures.
Tuesday’s attack is likely to intensify that discussion, particularly over how weapons can be prevented from entering school grounds and how quickly institutions can respond when violence erupts.
Gun controls face the challenge of an illegal market
The Philippines maintains strict regulations governing civilian firearm ownership, but authorities have long faced the challenge of an extensive illegal firearms market.
The existence of that black market complicates efforts to prevent weapons from reaching people who are not legally permitted to possess them.
Investigators will therefore be examining not only the suspect’s actions inside the school but also the chain of ownership and acquisition surrounding the weapon.
Investigation continues amid shock at the school
Police have yet to provide a motive for the attack, while the identities and ages of the two deceased have not been publicly released.
For the university community, the shooting has transformed preparations intended to improve safety into a stark reminder of the dangers schools are increasingly being asked to prepare for.
Authorities now face the task of determining how the suspect obtained the firearm, why the victim was targeted and whether any warning signs were missed before the attack.
