Three Killed, Several Wounded in South Cotabato School Shooting

Three people, including the 16-year-old gunman, were killed and several others were wounded after a shooting inside Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday afternoon, officials said.

The incident occurred at about 1:15 p.m. inside one of the classrooms of the school in Barangay Benitez, where the suspect reportedly opened fire on fellow students before turning the gun on himself.

South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said police identified the shooter as a Grade 9 student.

“Police identified the gunman as a Grade 9 pupil who shot himself in the head after firing at his classmates,” Tamayo said in an interview with reporters following the incident.

Rolly Aquino, head of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said three people had been confirmed dead as of 4 p.m., including two male students and one female student.

Banga Mayor Albert Palencia earlier said two of the fatalities were 14-year-old students and that the gunman was 16. Reports on the number of injured varied, with officials and media reports initially giving different figures as authorities continued to verify the casualties.

Palencia told Reuters that the suspect had spoken with friends during lunch before the shooting and allegedly told them to go home because he intended to carry out a plan.

“His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker,” Palencia told Reuters.

The mayor said the suspect later began shooting students after lunch.

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

Authorities said the firearm used in the shooting was a 9mm Glock pistol reportedly owned by the suspect’s father, who is a member of a local gun club.

Tamayo said police were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, including the motive and how the student obtained the firearm.

The governor also said the suspect was reportedly a member of an online community involved in games using firearms, citing information from one of his classmates.

“It pains me to see this happening in one of our schools,” Tamayo said, adding that the provincial government had allocated funds for security guards to help protect schools.

Following the shooting, classes were suspended in Banga until further notice. Local disaster management authorities said the suspension covered all levels across the municipality.

The Department of Education said it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide support to those affected.

“Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel,” the education ministry said.

“We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation.”

The Philippine Red Cross said it was alerted to the incident at around 2 p.m. and dispatched an ambulance with four paramedics to provide emergency assistance.

Police and emergency responders were deployed to the school as authorities secured the area and began investigating the shooting.

The incident is the third deadly school shooting reported in the Philippines since June, according to the first reports of the incident.