At a high school in central Philippines on the 22nd (local time), two students opened fire, killing three students from the same school and injuring seven.
According to the Associated Press and others, at around 9 a.m. that day, two suspects, ages 14 and 15 and students at the school, entered a classroom with handguns and carried out an indiscriminate shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban on Leyte Island, Philippines. As a result, three teenage students died and seven were injured and taken to hospitals. Most of the dead and injured were reportedly female students.
According to police, after firing in one classroom, the suspects chased students who fled and continued the attack in another classroom. One suspect was caught at the scene, and the other was arrested by police who responded to a resident's report after the suspect hid in a nearby residential area.
They reportedly told police they were bullied at school. A 9 mm pistol and a .38-caliber revolver were used in the crime, and police are investigating how they obtained the guns and brought them into the school.
Ervin Noh, a teacher at the school where the shooting occurred, told AFP, "Seeing the shooter walking toward us, I told the students to stay calm and hide under their desks, then locked the door," and "the children were crying and terrified."
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed deep sorrow over the incident and ordered a thorough investigation and stronger safety measures at schools and other public facilities. The Philippines regulates gun ownership, but illegal distribution through the black market is said to be persistent.