Two students died Tuesday in a shooting at the high schoool campus of the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern Philippines, the country’s second school shooting in two months.
Regional police said a Grade 9 student brought a “pistol and rifle inside the school campus” and opened fire in a classroom, killing a Grade 10 student before turning the gun on himself.
“The investigation is ongoing… We are still trying to identify the motive,” police spokeswoman Shella Chang told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that authorities were processing the crime scene.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured. Ateneo de Zamboanga University separately confirmed the two fatalities.
“As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities. As for other information, we are coordinating with authorities for the full report, with full details to be provided as soon as possible,” the university said in a statement on Aug. 18.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso earlier told a local radio station that video of the incident showed the shooter initially firing at a teacher.
“In the video, we see that he first shot at the teacher who was sitting at a table,” Olaso said, according to AFP. “It seems he missed, then moved to another room… He shot another student there,” he said.
Olaso initially identified the alleged shooter as a seventh-grade student, but regional police later said the student was in Grade 9.
The Philippine National Police said personnel from Police Regional Office 9 and the Zamboanga City Police Office responded to the shooting and coordinated with school authorities and other agencies.
Police said investigators were establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident and appealed to the public to refrain from circulating unconfirmed reports, photos, or videos.
Ateneo de Zamboanga said it had coordinated with parents and guardians to arrange the pickup of students and had ensured the safety of those who remained on campus.
“The safety of our students is our top priority,” the university said. The school also asked the public to rely on its official communication channels and avoid sharing unverified information that could harm those involved or hinder the investigation.
The country’s Department of Education (DepEd) said it was “gravely concerned” about the shooting and was ready to provide assistance to affected students, families and school personnel.
“We are also coordinating with mental health partners to provide Psychological First Aid and psychosocial support to those affected,” DepEd said.
The shooting came two months after three teenage students were killed and 20 others wounded in another school shooting in the central Philippines in June.
Ateneo de Zamboanga University was among schools across the country that conducted active shooter drills in July.
