Two students are dead and two people were injured following a shooting at a high school campus in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, marking the country’s second deadly school shooting in two months.
Police identified the suspected shooter as Grade 9 student Mohammad Mael Jalani. Authorities said he entered the high school building at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City carrying two pistols and opened fire before dying by suicide.
According to an initial police report, the student first fired at a teacher seated in front of a classroom but apparently missed. He then shot and killed a Grade 10 student on the fourth floor before going to the fifth floor, where authorities said he killed himself.
Hundreds of students were evacuated as gunfire sparked panic across the campus. Police and city officials said two other people were injured in the incident.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said portions of the attack were broadcast on Facebook Live using a body-worn camera. Authorities are investigating the student’s online activity, including his gaming and chat history, as they work to determine a possible motive.
Police said the situation was brought under control within hours of the shooting. Parents and guardians were asked to remain calm and follow instructions from school officials regarding the safe pickup of students.
National police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators were working to establish the circumstances surrounding the attack and urged the public not to circulate unverified reports, images or videos that could cause further concern.
The shooting occurred in the university’s secured high school campus, which is separate from the institution’s larger campus for college and professional programs. Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a privately operated Catholic institution, suspended classes at all levels for Tuesday and Wednesday following the attack.
Authorities are also investigating how the student obtained the firearms. Bureau of Customs Deputy Commissioner Nolasco Bathan said one of the pistols belonged to the suspect’s father, who serves as a Bureau of Customs police commander in Zamboanga.
Bathan said he had recommended the father’s temporary suspension and indicated that administrative charges could follow over the alleged failure to properly secure the government-issued firearm.
While firearm-related crime remains a significant problem in the Philippines, school shootings have historically been uncommon. Tuesday’s attack, however, follows another deadly shooting at a school in central Tacloban City in June.
Three high school students were killed and at least 20 others were injured in that attack. Police arrested two students, aged 14 and 15, in connection with the shooting.
The latest incident occurred despite authorities pledging to strengthen security at schools nationwide following the June attack. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances and motive behind Tuesday’s shooting.
