Three students killed in shooting at school in southern Philippines
A 16-year-old suspected gunman was among three students killed in a school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato, while eight others were injured.
Banga, Philippines. Three students, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman, were killed in a shooting at a school in the southern Philippine town of Banga on Friday, provincial officials said. Eight other students aged 14 to 17 were injured, four of them critically.
Incident details
Albert Palencia, mayor of Banga in South Cotabato province, said the suspected gunman had told friends before lunch to go home because he planned to carry out an attack.
Palencia told Reuters that the students did not take the warning seriously because the suspect was known as a joker. After lunch, the suspect began shooting students, injuring 10 before killing himself, Palencia said.
Recent school gun incidents
The shooting followed two fatal gun incidents at Philippine schools since June, in a country where school shootings had previously been rare.
Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga in the southern Philippines before taking his own life.
In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.
Gun access concerns
The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluation requirements, although illegal firearms remain in circulation.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged parents to ensure that guns were kept out of the reach of minors.
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