A 16-year-old student has killed two fellow students and himself in a shooting at a school in the southern Philippines, authorities said on Friday.
Eight other students were injured in the attack at a school in Banga, South Cotabato, with four of the injured reported to be in critical condition.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said all the victims were students aged between 14 and 17.
According to the mayor, the teenager allegedly told some friends before the incident that he planned to carry out an attack after lunch. His friends reportedly did not take the statement seriously because he was known for joking.
Palencia said the student later left his Grade 9 classroom and opened fire on students in a neighbouring classroom.
The mayor said the teenager used a 9mm pistol belonging to his father, who works for the Department of Education.
Authorities said the student allegedly accessed the firearm from a secured storage area at home before taking it to school.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo has urged gun owners to ensure that firearms are properly secured and kept away from minors.
“We need to be responsible in storing firearms. Gun owners, in particular, must make sure that minors do not have access to them,” Tamayo told Reuters.
He added that school security personnel alone could not prevent such incidents and called for greater cooperation among parents, authorities and communities.
Authorities are also investigating the teenager’s alleged links to an online “true crime” community.
Palencia, citing information from police, said investigators found evidence that the student had posted in an online group and were examining the nature of the community and its possible connection to the attack.
The investigation comes after a Senate inquiry into another deadly school shooting in Tacloban in June examined the role of online communities that police cybercrime officials described as networks where young people share and consume violent content.
At least three students were killed and about 20 others injured in the June attack at a public high school in Tacloban.
Another school shooting occurred in Zamboanga in August, when a student killed a fellow student before taking his own life, according to authorities.
The incidents have renewed debate in the Philippines over young people’s access to firearms, social media and potentially harmful online content.
Third School Shooting Since June
Friday’s incident is the third reported school shooting in the Philippines since June.
School shootings have historically been relatively uncommon in the country, which has strict regulations governing legal firearm ownership, including background checks and psychological assessments.
However, illegal firearms remain in circulation.
The latest attack has renewed calls for stronger firearm-storage measures, particularly in households where children and teenagers may have access to weapons.
Authorities in South Cotabato said investigations into the shooting were continuing, including efforts to establish what led to the attack and whether the teenager’s online activities played a role.
