Two high school students died and another was injured in a shooting inside Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday morning. Authorities identified one of the fatalities as the Grade 9 student who allegedly carried out the attack.
Classified as a Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL), the shooter brought two pistols, one equipped with a Roni conversion kit that gave it a rifle-like appearance. Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said the incident occurred around 7:50 a.m. on the building’s fourth floor, with the gunman streaming parts of the attack live on Facebook.
“Once inside the classroom, the CICL opened fire at fellow students, fatally wounding a Grade 10 student,” a police report stated.
“The CICL subsequently fled to the 5th floor of the school building where he allegedly turned the firearm on himself and committed suicide,” the report added.
The Zamboanga City government reported two students were hospitalized, one with injuries and another experiencing breathing difficulties. Emergency medical teams treated 21 others on-scene for panic attacks, anxiety, and minor abrasions.
Appealing for calm, city officials urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified rumors, photos, or videos online. “We assure the public that the situation is under control and appropriate security measures are in place. The safety of our students, teachers, and school communities remains our highest priority,” the statement read.
Remulla ordered a full investigation by the Philippine National Police (PNP). Citing initial findings, he noted the shooter “entered and started indiscriminately firing, hitting a Grade 10 student at the fourth floor,” before going to the fifth floor where he jumped and took his own life.
The motive remains under investigation. “We cannot tell you as of now,” Remulla said regarding what prompted the attack. “We still have to do a full investigative report, analysis on his social media, interview with his parents, with the school….It may take a day or two before we can have the whole picture.”
Investigators are also determining how the firearms were brought inside and verifying ownership. “We also need to determine if the firearms are registered or not and who is the owner,” Remulla noted.
Describing the Grade 9 shooter as also being a victim due to his age, Remulla added, “he’s probably troubled and couldn’t control himself. They are all victims here and the country should be reflective about how we treat each other.”
He assured that the DILG and PNP are “on top of this and this incident, as reprehensible as it may seem, will be another learning experience for our PNP and our LGUs.” Remulla urged parents “to further be introspective and be empathetic towards what is happening to our children,” adding in a later statement that children “still have to discover and discern right from wrong.”
“What is confounding is the cruelty of the crime. It is one of the few times where everyone is a victim. The shooter, however young and troubled he may have been, is himself a victim of what I believe are video games inhabited by actors who induce terror, influencing young and fallible minds,” Remulla stated.
Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno confirmed the shooter was the son of a BOC official, who was relieved as district commander of the BOC-Zamboanga City Enforcement and Security Services pending investigation. The BOC noted the firearms used—one issued by the agency and one personal—belonged to the official. “We relieved him immediately to pave the way for the impartial investigation to determine there was negligence on his part in the handling of his firearms,” Nepomuceno said.
PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. affirmed that police units “are working together to establish the circumstances of the incident.”
“Investigators are currently gathering and validating information, while forensic personnel process the scene and secure evidence relevant to the investigation,” Nartatez said.
“The PNP assure the school community, the families involved, and the public that the incident is being thoroughly looked into. The police will allow the evidence and verified information to guide the investigation and will refrain from making conclusions while the fact-finding process is ongoing,” he added.