A tragic incident unfolded at a high school in the southern Philippines as a student armed with two pistols fatally shot a fellow student before taking his own life. The distressing event, which was live-streamed using a body-worn camera, marks the second deadly school shooting in the country within two months.
The shooting occurred at the Ateneo de Zamboanga university campus in Zamboanga City, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of students after gunshots were heard in the high school building. Two individuals sustained injuries during the attack.
The perpetrator, identified as Grade 9 student Mohammad Mael Jalani, first attempted to shoot a teacher but missed, then proceeded to shoot a student on the fourth floor before tragically ending his own life on the fifth floor, as reported by the police.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that the assailant broadcasted the attack on Facebook Live, capturing moments of indiscriminate firing and his subsequent suicide leap from the building. Authorities plan to investigate the suspect’s gaming and chat histories to understand the motive behind the incident fully.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso confirmed the perpetrator’s self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ateneo de Zamboanga, a renowned Catholic university in the region, suspended classes at all levels following the tragic event, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures on school premises.
Despite assurances from law enforcement to bolster school security nationwide, such incidents persist in the Philippines. The shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga adds to the country’s history of firearm-related crimes, attributed in part to the widespread availability of unlicensed firearms.
The tragic event serves as a somber reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of students and school communities. Authorities are urging the public to remain calm, avoid sharing unverified information, and cooperate with ongoing investigations into the incident.