A tragic incident unfolded at a high school in the southern Philippines as a student armed with two pistols fatally shot a fellow student before taking his own life on Tuesday. The entire event was livestreamed by the perpetrator using a body-worn camera, marking the second deadly school shooting in the country within two months.
The violence erupted at the Ateneo de Zamboanga university campus in the city of Zamboanga, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of students following the sound of gunshots. Authorities confirmed that two individuals sustained injuries during the attack.
The assailant, identified as Grade 9 student Mohammad Mael Jalani, first targeted a teacher but missed before fatally shooting a student on the fourth floor. Subsequently, he proceeded to the fifth floor where he tragically ended his own life, according to a preliminary police report.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that the perpetrator broadcasted the attack on Facebook Live, starting from his ascent up the stairs. However, only fragments of the livestream were available. Authorities plan to delve into the suspect’s gaming and chat history to understand the motive behind the incident thoroughly.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso and local police confirmed that the suspect took his own life. The high school building where the tragedy unfolded is located within a secure campus separate from the main campus of the Catholic university, leading to a temporary suspension of classes at all levels.
Despite the tragedy, police assured the public that the situation was under control and urged parents to cooperate with the school’s instructions for picking up their children. The national police chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., emphasized the importance of not spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary panic.
It was disclosed that one of the pistols used by the suspect belonged to his father, a Bureau of Customs police commander in Zamboanga. The father may face administrative repercussions for failing to properly secure the government-issued firearm.
While firearm-related crimes are not uncommon in the Philippines due to the widespread availability of unlicensed weapons, school shootings are relatively rare. The incident occurred despite earlier promises by authorities to enhance security measures in schools across the country following a shooting in June that resulted in the deaths of three high school students in Tacloban city. Two students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested in connection with that incident.