Philippines: Student livestreams school shooting

Two students, including the shooter, have been killed and at least two others wounded at a private university campus in the southern port city of Zamboanga.

A high school student opened fire at a private university campus in the Philippines on Tuesday, killing a fellow student and wounding two others before turning the gun on himself.

The shooting, which the student reportedly livestreamed using a body camera, took place at about 7:50 a.m. local time at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern port city of Zamboanga, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of the capital, Manila.

Hundreds of students were evacuated after gunshots were heard in the high school building, which is located on a secure campus separate from the university's main campus.

Regional police said a ninth-grade student, typically ages 14-16, brought a "pistol and rifle inside the school campus" and opened fire in a classroom.

"One of the focuses our investigation will look into is how the suspect brought the firearms into the school," said a spokeswoman.

"The investigation is ongoing ... We are still trying to identify the motive."

A few hours after the shooting, police said the situation was under control. They requested that parents and guardians of students remain calm and follow advice issued by the school to pick up their children.

Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez also called on the public to "refrain from sharing unconfirmed reports, photos, or videos that may cause unnecessary concern," adding that authorities would "provide verified information as appropriate."

Philippines: How did the shooting unfold?

In a video that was seemingly livestreamed on Facebook and circulated by local media, the barrel of a gun is seen moving down a hallway in the style of a first-person shooter video game before being aimed into a classroom and fired, according to the AFP news agency.

"In the video, we see that he first shot at the teacher who was sitting at a desk," Zamboanga city mayor Khymer Olaso told a local radio station. "It seems he missed, then moved to another room [and] shot another student there."

Other children in school uniforms can reportedly be seen screaming and rushing for an exit.

The alleged shooter's Facebook account has since been disabled, and classes at the university were suspended.

Are school shootings common in the Philippines?

School shootings are rare in the Philippines where gun ownership is tightly regulated.

However, a large black market for firearms exists, and three students were killed while 20 others were injured in a shooting in the eastern city of Tacloban in June.

Last month, the Ateneo de Zamboanga campus became one of many educational institutions across the country to conduct active-shooter drills.

"We are all aware that security measures have been stepped up in schools," said the police spokeswoman.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse

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