Barely two months after a shooting in Tacloban that killed three students, another incident of school-related violence took place on August 18, an attack involving junior high school students, this time in Zamboanga, further heightening concerns about child safety, campus security, and gun access in the country.
According to Zamboanga’s regional police, a male Grade 9 student of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) Junior High School opened fire inside a classroom on Tuesday morning. The student reportedly used a Glock 22, caliber .40, issued by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), as well as a licensed personal pistol.
The perpetrator was said to be livestreaming on Facebook using a body-worn camera, but the account was later deactivated by his father. BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno explained that the child obtained the firearms after it was left behind by his father in the car. The father, who was a district commander for the BOC Zamboanga Post, was later relieved from his post.
Two fatalities were recorded: one was a 10th-grade student, while the other was the perpetrator himself. The police said he “turned the firearm on himself” before jumping from the fifth floor of their school building. Straits Times reported that some students initially thought the shooting was just another drill, as ADZU had just conducted a safety drill following the Tacloban incident.
“We urge the public to refrain from sharing unverified info, photos, and videos as these will only bring further harm to those involved and may hinder the ongoing investigation of the incident,” ADZU said in a statement. Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso declared Wednesday, August 19, as a day of mourning.
This incident follows a list of at least 50 school-related violence incidents, spanning from June to August, according to reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP). Included in the list were two separate school stabbings in Cavite on June 16 and 19; the school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three students and left 20 injured; more school stabbings in Negros Occidental on June 23, in Cavite on June 26, in Bacolod City on June 29, in Zamboanga City on July 1, and in Davao City on July 6.
Investigations are ongoing across the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation. The government has also sought stricter gun laws and stronger school policies.
The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) have also appealed to the media to report on the incident with empathy and responsibility to avoid possible copycat acts.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A male Grade 9 student of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) Junior High School opened fire inside a classroom.
2 children were killed. One was a Grade 10 student; the other was the perpetrator himself.
A Glock 22, caliber .40, issued by the Bureau of Customs, and a licensed personal pistol.
The school shooter’s father, who was a district commander for the BOC Zamboanga Port, left the guns in his car, which gave the child access.
According to the Philippine National Police, at least 50 school-related violence incidents from June to August alone.
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