Police are seen at Ateneo de Zamboanga University following a shooting at its Junior High School campus building in Zamboanga City on August 18, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
Trigger warning: This story talks about disturbing acts of violence and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.
A high school student livestreamed himself shooting another schoolmate dead before taking his own life at a high school in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, authorities said.
The school shooting, the country’s second in as many months, took place at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a Catholic private institution in western Mindanao.
“What we know so far is that (the shooter) went to the classroom of our known victim. He shot the victim, and after doing that, he went up to the fifth floor and shot himself,” regional police spokeswoman Shella Chang said.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the shooter was a Grade 9 student while the other victim was a Grade 10 student. Local media said the suspect was a Grade 7 student.
“At approximately 7:50 a.m. Tuesday, a certain Grade 9 student entered the Ateneo Zamboanga City High School bringing one pistol and one rifle. He entered and started indiscriminately firing, hitting a Grade 10 at the fourth floor, subsequently went to the 5th floor, and jumped from the said building and committed suicide,” Remulla said.
The alleged shooter’s Facebook account has since been disabled.
‘Tragedy that should never have happened’
In the video, which was circulated by local media, the barrel of a gun can be seen moving down a hallway in the style of a first-person shooter video game before being pointed into a classroom and fired.
Children in school uniforms are then seen screaming and rushing for an exit.
In a television interview, Mayor Khymer Olaso said the student had a short firearm and a high-powered gun. Olaso said three other students were wounded in the shooting.
The alleged shooter’s father, a Customs police personnel, reportedly owns the firearms used in the attack.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno ordered the relief and preventive suspension of the personnel pending the outcome of the investigation.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for a thorough investigation into the Zamboanga City school shooting incident as he expressed his grief over what he described as “a tragedy that should never have happened.”
Mr. Marcos conveyed his solidarity with the families of the victims and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) community, emphasizing that schools “must be among the safest places in our country.”
“I have directed our law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident and to determine what more must be done to prevent another family, another school and another community from suffering the same grief,” he said.
DILG eyes security measures for private schools, too
Remulla said a review of existing safety policy for schools may be in order following the shooting.
He said the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have an existing accord allowing cops to monitor security measures but only outside public schools.
“Perhaps it’s time to call for a policy review so that we can cover private schools also,” Remulla said.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered a full investigation into the shooting incident.
“The police will allow the evidence and verified information to guide the investigation, and will refrain from making conclusions while the fact-finding process is ongoing,” he said.
“The PNP likewise appeals to the public to exercise restraint in sharing unverified reports, photographs, or videos related to the incident, particularly materials involving students and other affected individuals,” Nartatez added.
Ateneo de Zamboanga president Father Guillrey Andal, confirming the two fatalities, said the school was “deeply saddened” by the shooting and was cooperating with the investigation.
“We are in process of working with the police for us to be able to identify them, so that we can communicate first with their loved ones,” he said, acknowledging the incident had caused “deep concern and worry.”
In a press briefing with police and local government officials shortly after the incident, Andal announced they have suspended classes at all levels on Tuesday and Wednesday in light of the tragedy.
Andal declared Wednesday (August 19) as a “day of mourning and prayer for all of us.” He vowed that the entire university will cooperate with law enforcement authorities in moving forward with the investigation.
“We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all of our students. As soon as we found out what had happened this morning, all of us in coordination came over, making sure that our students from the grade school and the junior high school are all safely evacuated,” he said.
School shootings are rare in the Philippines, but three teenaged students were killed and 20 others wounded in an attack at a school in Tacloban in June.
Legal gun ownership is tightly regulated, but a large black market exists for firearms.
DepEd: Compassion over clicks
For its part, DepEd urged the public to exercise compassion and to refrain from posting, sharing, or amplifying sensitive content pertaining to the shooting incident or its aftermath.
“The circulation of such material may further compound the trauma of those directly affected and cause additional distress to their loved ones,” DepEd said.
“Let us choose compassion over clicks. Our priority must be the safety, dignity, and healing of the affected school community,” it added.
Several educational institutions including Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), and Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) have expressed support for the victims and their families.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), a national network of Catholic schools across the country, also called on the public to respond to the incident with sensitivity, compassion, and restraint as every news, photograph, and social media content are students, families, teachers, and community members experiencing grief.
“May this tragedy awaken in all of us a deeper commitment to making every school a place of safety, care, vigilance, and peace, where the protection of every child and every member of the school community remains a shared moral responsibility,” CEAP added.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) called for enforcement policies which aim to safeguard learners inside and outside educational institutions.
In a statement, EDCOM 2 said anti-bullying policies, mental health support, secure learning spaces, and the passage of a school safety bill should be pushed to ensure the safety of students.
“Every Filipino learner deserves a safe, supportive space to learn, grow, and thrive,” it added.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said DepEd plans to use part of its proposed 2027 budget to strengthen security in public schools, including the possible deployment of more security personnel and the installation of additional metal detectors.
“That is DepEd’s plan, and that is also what we want to happen so that we can provide greater protection to students, especially those in public schools,” Castro said.
Stricter safety measures, Senate probe pushed
Lawmakers were shocked and saddened by the latest school shooting in Zamboanga City.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula said: “As a resident of Zamboanga City, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga High School campus…My heart goes out to the students, teachers, staff, parents, and the entire Zamboanga City community. Our schools must always be safe spaces for learning and growth.”
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called for an immediate inquiry into how the shooter obtained two firearms and successfully bypassed campus security measures to enter the school premises.
“I demand a thorough investigation and call on the DepEd and the local government of Zamboanga to provide immediate psychosocial support to distressed learners and school personnel,” Gatchalian said.
Raising concerns over broader security threats, Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned whether the tragedy shares links with Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE) or radical online communities previously investigated following the school shooting in Tacloban.
Hontiveros warned the public broadcast, imitation, and live-streaming of violent acts reflect a worsening societal problem that extends far beyond the physical classroom.
EDCOM 2 co-chair Senator Joel Villanueva backed legislative measures to reform school environments and restrict firearm access.
Villanueva urged colleagues to pass stricter gun control legislation governing firearm ownership, safe storage, and access prevention to ensure weapons never reach unauthorized individuals or minors.—With Agence France Presse