Student killed in rare Philippine school shooting

A student has died and two others were injured following a shooting incident at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University, a private Catholic institution in western Mindanao, Philippines. The perpetrator, identified as a seventh-grader, reportedly entered the university armed with a powerful firearm and a .45 caliber pistol.

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A seventh-grader managed to enter with a powerful firearm and a .45 caliber pistol.

According to Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso, the assailant initially fired at a teacher in a classroom but missed. The student then moved to another room where they shot and killed another student. Two other students sustained injuries before the perpetrator apparently died by suicide. The university confirmed the fatalities, emphasizing that student safety is its top priority.

Video footage circulating on social media, which appeared to be a live Facebook stream, showed the gunman moving through a corridor before entering a classroom and firing shots. Images of students in uniform fleeing the scene were also captured. The alleged shooter's Facebook account was later deactivated.

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We see in the video that he first shot the teacher sitting at the table. It seems he missed, then he went to another room... there he shot another student, the one who fell. It seems two more were injured, probably before he committed suicide.

This incident is the second school shooting in the Philippines in recent months. In June, three teenage students were killed and 20 others injured in a similar attack in the central Philippines. Despite strict regulations on legal gun ownership in the country, a significant black market for firearms persists.

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The safety of our students is our top priority.