Full story
Zamboanga livestream attack
A student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom at a school attached to Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the city of Zamboanga on Tuesday, then took his own life, an official said.
“A student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student”
Reuters reported that the gunman brought a pistol and a rifle onto the school campus and fired at students inside the classroom, and that the video showed him entering one classroom, opening fire, changing weapons, and firing more rounds in a second classroom.
The New York Times said the shooting took place around 8 a.m. local time at the junior high school of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, where the mayor of Zamboanga City, Khymer Olaso, said the boy shot and killed a male schoolmate before turning the gun on himself.
Reuters said the victim was a male grade 10 student and the gunman was a grade 9 student, with two others wounded, and that the victim was found on the fourth floor while the gunman was later found dead on the fifth floor.
The New York Times reported that Rev. Guillrey Anthony Andal, the president of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, said all other students had been evacuated safely and that classes at all levels of the university were suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Officials, livestream, and counts
Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso told DZBB radio that authorities confirmed the gunman live-streamed the attack through a body-worn camera, and Reuters verified a live-stream video showing him entering classrooms and opening fire.
Al Jazeera reported that university president Ernald Andal confirmed there was no longer an active shooting and said there were no additional deaths or reported injuries, adding, "As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities."
The New York Times described a livestream clip verified by the paper in which the gunman walks down a hallway, stops at the door of a classroom, aims his weapon at a teacher, and then fires at students in a second classroom.
Reuters said the motive was not immediately clear, but a senior customs official told reporters that the shooter used a .40-caliber pistol issued by the Bureau of Customs to the student's father, and that a second weapon recovered was a licensed personal firearm also owned by the shooter's father.
Al Jazeera said police spokeswoman Shella Chang told AFP the investigation was ongoing and that authorities were still trying to identify the motive, while also reporting that the alleged attacker was a ninth-grade student who brought a "pistol and rifle" inside the school campus.
Investigation and school safety
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered law enforcement agencies to investigate and determine measures to be taken to prevent violence in schools, and Reuters quoted him saying, "Our schools are where we entrust our children to learn, to grow and to dream about the lives ahead of them."
“"Our schools are where we entrust our children to learn”
The Guardian said the university president, Ernald Andal, confirmed there was no longer an active shooting and no additional fatalities or reported injuries, and it quoted Andal saying, "We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritise the safety of all our students,".
Reuters said the incident came in the second school attack in the country in less than two months, following an attack in June at a public high school in Tacloban City where at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured.
The Guardian reported that in response to the June Tacloban attack, the government banned an online game, Gorebox, after it was discovered at least one of the alleged shooters regularly played it, and it said the department of education told a Senate committee last month that more support was needed to prevent a "copycat phenomenon".
DW reported that police asked the public to "refrain from sharing unconfirmed reports, photos, or videos that may cause unnecessary concern," while also saying police said the situation was under control and that classes at the university were suspended.
