A high school student armed with two pistols fatally shot a fellow student before taking his own life on Tuesday in a violent incident at a high school campus in southern Philippines. The tragedy, captured live through a body-worn camera, marked the second school shooting resulting in death in the country within two months.
Following the sound of gunshots at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University campus in Zamboanga, hundreds of students were swiftly evacuated. The attack left two individuals injured, confirmed by police and city officials.
The perpetrator, identified as Grade 9 student Mohammad Mael Jalani, first targeted a teacher but missed, then proceeded to shoot a student on the fourth floor before turning the gun on himself on the next floor, according to initial police reports.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla informed reporters that the assailant entered the building and began firing randomly, hitting a Grade 10 student before committing suicide by jumping from the fifth floor. Remulla mentioned that the attacker livestreamed parts of the incident on Facebook Live, indicating that further investigations into the individual’s gaming and chat history were necessary to understand the motive behind the tragic events.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso and law enforcement confirmed that the suspect took his own life. The shooting occurred in a separate secure area within the university campus, distinct from the main campus where the university’s colleges and professional schools are situated. Ateneo, a prominent Catholic university in the southern region, suspended classes at all levels for Tuesday and Wednesday following the incident.
Joe Darryl Jaron, who had just dropped off his child at the school, captured the chaotic scene on video as students panicked and sought safety after the gunshots rang out. Police later reassured the public that the situation was contained, urging parents and guardians to follow the school’s instructions for picking up their children.
National police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stated that authorities were working to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting. He cautioned against sharing unverified information to prevent unnecessary alarm.
Regarding the firearms involved, it was disclosed that one of the pistols belonged to the suspect’s father, a police commander at the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga. The deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs, Nolasco Bathan, suggested that the father might face administrative repercussions for failing to properly secure the government-issued firearm.
While the Philippines faces challenges with firearms-related crimes, school shootings are infrequent. This incident occurred despite prior assurances from the police about enhancing security in schools nationwide following a deadly shooting in June, where three high school students were killed and over 20 were injured in Tacloban city. Two students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested in connection with that earlier incident.