People stand outside Ateneo de Zamboanga University after a shooting that killed two people, in Zamboanga, southern Philippines, August 18, 2026. REUTERS/Nonoy Lacson
Two students killed in Philippines school shooting
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Grade 9 student shoots classmate, then dies.
- Two others wounded in Zamboanga City attack.
- Marcos orders probe into school shooting.
A shooting at a private high school in the southern Philippines left two students dead on Tuesday, including the gunman.
Officials confirmed that the situation was brought under control shortly after the incident.
According to a preliminary police report, a Grade 9 student brought a pistol and a rifle onto the campus of the high school attached to Ateneo de Zamboanga University and opened fire inside a classroom.
Broadcast coverage by GMA News showed blurred footage of chaotic classroom scenes as students ducked for cover while multiple gunshots rang out.
Police reported that the victim was a male Grade 10 student. The gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and two other individuals were injured.
Following the incident, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a directive to law enforcement agencies to investigate the shooting thoroughly and establish stronger security measures.
"Our schools are where we entrust our children to learn, to grow and to dream about the lives ahead of them. They must also be among the safest places in our country," President Marcos said in an official statement.
Footage from news channel ANC showed parents and students gathering outside the gates of the 8-hectare campus alongside armed police officers, soldiers, and crime scene investigators.
School shootings remain relatively rare in the Philippines due to strict ownership regulations—including required psychological evaluations and background checks—though illegal firearms continue to circulate.
The shooting follows a June attack at a public high school in Tacloban City in the central Philippines, where three students were killed and roughly 20 others injured when two schoolmates opened fire.
The incident also occurred less than 10 days after a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand.
