Philippine High School Shooting Leaves Three Dead and Eight Injured as Authorities Launch Investigation

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Three students have been killed and eight others injured in a shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, southern Philippines, with the suspected 16-year-old gunman also among the dead.

The shooting happened on Friday afternoon at the school in Banga. Mayor Albert Palencia said all the victims were students aged between 14 and 17, while four of those injured were in critical condition. The suspect reportedly turned the gun on himself after opening fire on students.

Palencia said the teenager had spoken to friends during lunch and allegedly told them to go home because he planned to carry out an attack afterwards. His friends reportedly did not take the warning seriously because they knew him as a joker. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including how the teenager obtained the firearm.

Emergency teams were sent to the school after the shooting, while police secured the area and began their investigation. The Philippine Red Cross also dispatched an ambulance and paramedics to assist the injured. Classes were suspended at all levels across the municipality of Banga following the incident.

The Department of Education said it was coordinating with local authorities and law enforcement to establish the circumstances of the shooting and provide assistance to those affected. The department said the safety and wellbeing of students, teachers and school personnel remained its immediate priority and that psychological first aid and mental-health support would be made available.

The shooting is the third deadly school shooting recorded in the Philippines since June, a development that has renewed concerns over firearms and school safety. In June, three students were killed and about 20 others injured in a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban. In August, a student at Ateneo de Zamboanga University shot and killed another student before taking his own life.

South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo has urged adult gun owners to be more responsible in storing firearms and preventing children from gaining access to them. He also said protecting schools cannot depend solely on security personnel, calling for greater cooperation between families, communities and authorities.

Police and other authorities are continuing to investigate the Banga shooting as officials work to establish the full circumstances behind the attack and support the victims, their families and the wider school community.