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Philippine student shot dead in livestreamed school attack

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A student fatally shot a schoolmate and then took his own life in a livestreamed attack at a university in the Philippines.
  • The incident occurred at Ateneo de Zamboanga University and is the country's second school shooting in two months.
  • Authorities are investigating the motive, the firearm's origin, and how it was brought onto campus.

A horrifying incident unfolded at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the Philippines on Tuesday, where a student livestreamed himself fatally shooting a schoolmate before turning the gun on himself. This tragic event marks the country's second school shooting in as many months, sending shockwaves through the academic community.

Regional police spokeswoman Shella Chang detailed the sequence of events, stating, "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." The interior secretary, Victor Remulla, confirmed that the ninth-grade suspect had broadcast the attack on social media. The alleged shooter's Facebook account has since been disabled.

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.

— Shella ChangRegional police spokeswoman Shella Chang described the events of the shooting.

Video footage circulated by local media depicted a gun barrel moving down a hallway in a style reminiscent of a first-person shooter video game, before being pointed into a classroom and fired. The aftermath showed students in uniform screaming and fleeing the scene. It remains unclear how many individuals were injured in the attack.

National police are actively working to "establish the motive behind the shooting, determine the ownership and source of the firearm used, and find out how it was brought inside the school campus," according to a statement from the interior ministry. While legal gun ownership is strictly regulated in the Philippines, a significant black market for firearms persists. This incident follows a June attack in the central Philippines where three teenage students were killed and 20 others wounded, prompting many schools, including Ateneo de Zamboanga, to conduct active shooter drills.

We are in the process of working with the police for us to be able to identify them, so that we can communicate first with their loved ones.

— Father Guillrey AndalAteneo de Zamboanga president Father Guillrey Andal addressed the school's response and cooperation with authorities.
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Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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