Two dead in Zamboanga school shooting
Xinhua · 3 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago1 MIN
Summary
A shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University junior high school campus in Zamboanga City on Tuesday morning left two students dead, including the gunman, and authorities said the situation was under control. Officials said the suspect, identified as a student, brought firearms onto the campus, opened fire, and later killed himself.
Key Points
- Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said the attack happened at about 8:30 a.m. on the junior high school campus in southern Philippines
- A preliminary police report said the gunman brought a pistol and a rifle onto the school grounds and fired at students inside a classroom
- Xinhua reported the suspect was a Grade 7 student, while Reuters, via The Standard, reported police identified him as a Grade 9 student.
- Police said the other person killed was a male student one grade above the gunman, and the shooter then took his own life
- Xinhua said nine other people were taken to hospital, while university president Ernald Andal later said there were no additional fatalities or reported injuries.
Why It Matters
Police are still investigating the suspect's motive, so casualty details and the sequence of events may be refined as the inquiry continues. The shooting was the second school gun attack in the Philippines in less than two months, adding to concern over campus security despite the country's relatively strict gun ownership rules