At least three people, including a 16-year-old suspected shooter, were killed and several others injured after gunfire erupted at a school in the southern Philippines on Friday.
The shooting took place in Banga town in South Cotabato, marking the third deadly school shooting reported in the Philippines since June, reports AL Jazeera.
A worker from the local disaster response agency said two of those killed were students. Several injured victims were taken to hospital, with four of the eight wounded reported to be in critical condition. All the victims were students aged between 14 and 17.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo said the suspected shooter apparently took his own life after the attack. Banga Mayor Albert Palencia later confirmed that the suspect had died, according to Reuters.
Authorities had not immediately established whether more than one person was involved in the shooting.
However, a teacher heard in a video circulating on social media claimed that there were two attackers.
Tamayo said authorities were working to reassure residents that the situation was under control.
“We never thought this would happen,” he said.
Palencia said the suspected shooter had reportedly sat with friends before the attack and told them to leave because he planned to carry out his “plan” after lunch.
His friends reportedly dismissed the remark as a joke because they knew him as someone who often joked around.
According to the mayor, the suspect began shooting students after lunch and hit 10 of them before killing himself.
The incident is the latest in a series of deadly shootings at Philippine schools in recent months.
In August, a student in the southern city of Zamboanga livestreamed the killing of another student inside a classroom before taking his own life.
In June, two students allegedly opened fire at a public high school in Tacloban in the central Philippines, killing three students and injuring 20 others.
Authorities recently held nationwide shooter drills as part of efforts to improve security at schools.
Tamayo, however, urged parents to ensure that firearms are kept away from children, saying security personnel alone cannot prevent such incidents.
“We need to be responsible in storing firearms,” the mayor said, stressing that a limited number of security personnel cannot be expected to monitor thousands of students.
The Philippines has tightened its firearm regulations following a series of violent incidents. Applicants seeking to purchase guns must undergo background checks and psychological assessments.
Despite the tighter regulations, illegal firearms remain widely available in the country.
