Two students killed in Philippine school shooting, gunman among dead

Two students and the gunman were killed in a school shooting that occurred at a high school in Zamboanga, southern Philippines on Tuesday, according to authorities. The incident marked the second school shooting in the country within two months. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed law enforcement to investigate the incident and recommend steps to prevent future violence in schools.

A Grade 9 student brought a pistol and a rifle onto the campus of the privately run Ateneo de Zamboanga University school before opening fire on students inside a classroom. The victim was a male Grade 10 student; the gunman took his own life during the attack. Two others sustained injuries during the shooting.

Video footage broadcast by GMA News and ANC showed students and parents hiding under desks inside a classroom while gunshots rang out. Armed police and soldiers were seen deployed outside the school. Crime scene investigators arrived at the scene which is situated within a five-story building on an eight-hectare property that houses elementary and junior high school students.

This is the latest shooting in a country where school shootings are relatively rare due to strict gun ownership regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluations. However, illegal firearms remain prevalent in the country. The motive for Tuesday's shooting has not been established.