2 dead in school shooting in southern Philippines
Zamboanga Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said both fatalities were students, including the shooter, who had used a "high-powered firearm".
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
MANILA: Two people were killed in a shooting at a Catholic junior high school in the southern Philippines on Tuesday (Aug 18) and the situation was now under control, officials said, in the second such incident in the country in nearly two months.
The shooting took place at a school attached to the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern city of Zamboanga. The city's mayor Khymer Adan Olaso told DZMM radio both casualties were students and one was the shooter, who used a "high-powered firearm".
"A (seventh-grader) managed to enter carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45-calibre pistol," Olaso said.
"In the video, we see that he first shot at the teacher who was sitting at a table. It seems he missed, then moved to another room ... he shot another student there, the one who fell," Olaso added, referencing a screen-grabbed video being circulated by local media.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
The university's president Ernald Andal confirmed there was no longer an active shooting and there were no additional fatalities or reported injuries.
"As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities," Andal said. "There are no more active shooters."
Andal said the university was coordinating with authorities and would provide more details as information became available. "We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritise the safety of all our students," he said.
Regional police spokesperson Major Shellamie Chang said police forces were trying to secure the school campus, but she could not immediately provide other details.
It followed an attack at a public high school in June in Tacloban City in which at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured after two of their schoolmates opened fire on campus.
The shooting came less than 10 days after a high-profile incident in Thailand, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital Bangkok.
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app