Post by : Badri Ariffin

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, August 18, 2026: A student opened fire inside a school in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga on Tuesday, killing another student before taking his own life, authorities said.

The shooting happened at a school attached to the privately run Ateneo de Zamboanga University. According to a preliminary police report, the student brought two firearms onto the school campus and opened fire inside classrooms.

The victim was identified as a Grade 10 male student, while the suspected shooter was a Grade 9 student, police said. The attacker later died by suicide inside the school building.

Two other people were wounded in the shooting. Several students also suffered injuries while trying to escape the school during the attack.

Shooter Reportedly Live-Streamed Attack

Zamboanga Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso told DZBB radio that authorities determined the student had live-streamed the shooting using a body-worn camera.

Reuters reported that it verified footage showing the shooter entering a classroom and firing at students. The video also showed the suspect changing weapons before entering another classroom and firing additional shots.

The footage showed students attempting to take cover as gunfire erupted inside the school.

Two Firearms Recovered

Police said the suspect used a .40-caliber pistol and another firearm during the attack.

A senior customs official said the pistol had been issued by the Philippine Bureau of Customs to the shooter's father, who works as a customs official. The father has since been relieved from his post, according to the official.

The second firearm recovered from the scene was reportedly a licensed personal weapon also owned by the suspect's father.

Authorities are investigating how the student obtained access to the firearms and brought them onto the school campus.

Students Fled the School

Social media footage verified by Reuters showed students running out of the school building as gunshots could be heard in the background.

The victim was found on the fourth floor, while the suspected shooter was later found dead on the fifth floor, city councillor Frederick Atilano said, citing information from police.

The school is located on an approximately 8-hectare campus and includes grade school and junior high school facilities.

Following the shooting, school classes were suspended as authorities secured the area and began their investigation.

President Marcos Orders Investigation

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting and determine what measures could be introduced to prevent similar violence in schools.

Marcos said schools should be among the safest places in the country because they are where children learn, grow and prepare for their future.

Authorities have not yet established a clear motive for the attack.

Second Philippine School Shooting in Two Months

The Zamboanga shooting comes less than two months after another deadly school shooting in the Philippines.

In June 2026, two students allegedly opened fire at a public high school in Tacloban City in the central Philippines. At least three students were killed and around 20 others were injured in that incident.

School shootings are relatively uncommon in the Philippines, which has regulations governing firearm ownership, including background checks and psychological assessments. However, illegal firearms continue to pose a security challenge.

The Zamboanga shooting also occurred less than 10 days after a separate school shooting in Thailand, where a student reportedly went on a shooting rampage at a school near Bangkok.

Authorities in the Philippines are continuing to investigate the Zamboanga attack, including the motive, the source of the firearms and possible security failures that allowed the student to bring weapons onto the school campus.

#Asia News #Philippines #Global Updates #World News