Three Dead, Including Gunman, in Philippines School Shooting

A school shooting in the southern Philippines left three students dead on Friday, among them the 16-year-old suspected gunman, who officials said died by suicide after opening fire.

Eight other students, all between 14 and 17 years old, were wounded in the attack at a school in Banga town, South Cotabato. Four of those injured were in critical condition, according to Mayor Albert Palencia.

The violence marks the latest in a string of deadly school gun incidents in the Philippines, where shootings on campus had historically been uncommon.

Palencia told Reuters that the alleged shooter had reportedly sat with friends before the attack and told them to go home, saying, “because after lunch, I will be executing my plan.” His classmates reportedly dismissed the remark because he was known for joking.

“After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself,” Palencia said.

Last month, another student in the southern city of Zamboanga live-streamed the shooting death of a classmate inside a classroom before taking his own life.

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In June, at least three students were killed and roughly 20 others wounded when two classmates opened fire at a public high school in Tacloban.

The Philippines enforces relatively strict gun ownership rules, requiring measures such as background checks and psychological evaluations. However, illegal firearms remain widely available.

Friday’s attack also came after a high-profile school shooting in Thailand in August, when a student carried out a shooting rampage at a school outside Bangkok.

South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo called on parents to make sure firearms are secured and inaccessible to minors.

“We need to be responsible in storing firearms. Gun owners, in particular, must make sure that minors do not have access to them,” Tamayo told Reuters by phone.

“We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students. We need to work together because otherwise this will be very difficult for us to address.”