Gunman Kills Six Students in Banga National High School Shooting in South Cotabato

A shooting at Banga National High School in the municipality of Banga, in South Cotabato province in the southern Philippines, killed six students and injured 17 others, according to a statement released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Six students have died and 17 have been injured”

ABC

The DSWD said its updated report confirmed the deaths of six students and that another 17 sustained serious injuries.

ABC

BBC reported that three people were killed and eight injured in the shooting, with Banga mayor Albert Palencia telling the BBC that two of the victims were 14-year-old students and that the gunman, 16, was among the dead.

The BBC said the incident happened on Friday afternoon at Banga National High School, and it quoted the Department of Education as saying it was "deeply concerned by the reported shooting incident".

The BBC also reported that classes were suspended "in all levels in the entire municipality of Banga" due to the shooting, and that the Philippines Red Cross was alerted at 14:00 local time and dispatched an ambulance with four paramedics.

Al Jazeera said at least three people, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman, were killed and that several others were injured, with four of the eight injured in critical condition and all victims aged 14 to 17.A

Al Jazeera reported that South Cotabato provincial governor Reynaldo Tamayo said the suspected gunman reportedly shot himself following the attack, and that the town mayor later reported that the attacker had died, according to Reuters.A

Al Jazeera

BBC quoted Palencia telling Reuters that during a lunchtime conversation on Friday the gunman urged friends to go home "because after lunch, [he would] be executing [his] plan".

BBC also reported Palencia said, "After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself."

The Deutsche Welle account said emergency services were called to Banga National High School at about 1:30 p.m. local time (0530 GMT), and it quoted Palencia saying a third person, believed to be a 16-year-old suspected gunman, was also killed.

South Cotabato provincial governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged adult gun owners to be responsible in storing firearms after the shooting, telling Reuters, "We must be responsible in storing firearms."

“We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students”

BBC

Tamayo added, "We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students," and he said, "We need to work together because otherwise this will be very difficult for us to address," according to BBC.

The Department of Education said it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support, and it urged everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continued their investigation.

BBC said the Department of Education statement emphasized "Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel," while also reporting that police were at the site investigating the shooting.

The Al Jazeera report said the incident was the country’s third deadly school shooting incident since June, and it noted that weeks earlier nationwide shooter drills were conducted to strengthen school security following two earlier school shootings in the Philippines.A