Three Students Killed In Philippines School Shooting

Three students were killed, and several others were injured after two teenagers opened fire inside a high school in the Philippines on Monday, with investigators suspecting the attack was motivated by a grudge linked to bullying.

The shooting took place at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City in the central Philippines.

Police said the two suspects, aged 14 and 15, entered a classroom and began firing without warning.

One suspect was arrested shortly after the shooting, while the second later surrendered to authorities.

Police recovered a .38-calibre revolver and a 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the attack. Authorities said the 9mm firearm belonged to a policewoman related to one of the suspects. She has since been taken into custody as part of the investigation.

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According to police, around 40 empty bullet casings were recovered from the scene. Besides the three fatalities, three students sustained gunshot wounds, while four others were injured during the panic that followed the attack.

Investigators also claimed they found videos on social media showing one of the teenagers handling and firing a gun before the incident. Officials said such warning signs may have been overlooked.

The mother of one of the victims called for action against those who allowed the teenagers access to firearms, arguing that the tragedy could have been prevented if the weapons had been secured properly.

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The incident has shocked the Philippines, where gun-related violence occurs but school shootings remain rare. Authorities in Tacloban said it was the first school shooting in the city in recent memory.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed sadness over the tragedy, while the country’s education department said it was deeply concerned by the incident.

In response, education authorities and police have announced a review of school security measures, anti-bullying policies and systems for monitoring student behaviour to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Tacloban City, located on Leyte Island in the Visayas region, is home to around 250,000 people and is best known internationally for being among the areas hardest hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

(With inputs from BBC)