Three dead and eight injured in Philippines school shooting

A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at a high school in Banga, Mindanao, Philippines, resulting in the deaths of two 14-year-old students and injuries to eight others before taking his own life, according to the local mayor Albert Palencia. Four of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, as stated by the education department, which expressed deep concern over the incident that occurred on Friday afternoon.

This marks the third deadly school shooting in the Philippines since June, with the incident prompting the education department to coordinate with authorities and urge the public to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information. The gunman reportedly requested his friends to leave the school for lunch, after which he began shooting students before killing himself.

Classes have been suspended throughout the municipality of Banga, and the Philippines Red Cross dispatched an ambulance with four paramedics to provide immediate assistance. Gun crime is not uncommon in the Philippines, known for its high rate of gun ownership, but school shootings are rare; however, this marks the third fatal campus shooting in the past four months.

In previous instances, the motive for the shootings was allegedly linked to bullying and a grudge. In response to the latest incident, the South Cotabato governor, Reynaldo Tamayo, called for responsible gun storage and cooperation among the community to address such incidents, noting that it would be challenging for authorities to monitor thousands of students with limited security personnel.