Philippines school shooting leaves two students dead, officials say

A shooting at a school in the southern Philippines has left two people dead, including the suspected shooter, raising fresh concerns about safety in educational institutions.

The incident happened at a school connected to the privately operated Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga city.

According to an initial police report, the Grade 9 student entered the campus carrying a pistol and a rifle. He then opened fire inside a classroom where students were present.

Police said the main victim was a male Grade 10 student. The suspected gunman later took his own life.

Two other people were also wounded in the shooting. Officials said the situation was brought under control after the attack.

President orders investigation

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident and examine ways to prevent similar violence in schools.

Marcos said schools should be places where children can study, develop their skills and prepare for their future. He stressed that they must also remain among the safest places in the country.

The authorities began investigating how the student brought firearms onto the school campus and what led to the shooting.

Police and other security personnel were seen around the school as investigators arrived at the scene. Students and parents also gathered outside the school gates following the incident.

The school is located on an 8-hectare site and serves grade school and junior high school students. The school building has five floors, according to information from the institution.

Second school shooting in less than two months

The latest shooting comes less than two months after another deadly attack at a Philippine school.

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

School shootings remain relatively uncommon in the Philippines. The country has rules for legal gun ownership that include background checks and psychological assessments.

However, illegal firearms continue to circulate, creating challenges for authorities trying to prevent gun-related violence.

The latest incident has therefore renewed questions about how firearms reach young people and whether existing security measures at schools are strong enough.

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Officials face pressure to improve school safety

The government is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the Zamboanga shooting as part of its response.

The investigation may focus on how the weapons were obtained, why the student brought them to school and whether there were earlier warning signs.

Authorities have not provided further details about the motive behind the attack. The investigation will be important in establishing what happened before the shooting and whether anyone else may have been involved.

The incident also comes shortly after a separate school shooting in Thailand, where a student reportedly attacked Bangkok.