On Tuesday (August 18), a ninth-grade student in Zamboanga, Philippines, opened fire and killed a fellow student at a high school campus in the southern city of Sibugay. The shooter livestreamed the moment of shooting towards classmates through a social media platform, and later died by suicide. The incident resulted in the deaths of two individuals, including the gunman, and several others injured, according to the authorities.
The shooting took place at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University High School, located in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines. Initial reports from the police indicate that the gunman entered the campus carrying a handgun and a rifle, and started firing at students in a classroom.
Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso of Sibugay City confirmed to local radio station DZBB that the authorities verified that the shooter livestreamed the attack through a body camera.
Reuters verified a video showing the shooter’s livestream at the school. The footage displayed him entering a classroom and firing shots, then switching weapons and continuing the shooting in a second classroom. One student was seen lying on the floor, condition unknown.
Police have identified the suspect as ninth-grade student Mohammad Mael Jalani. He initially fired at a teacher sitting in the front of a classroom but missed, and later shot a student on the fourth floor before proceeding to the fifth floor where he committed suicide.
According to the Associated Press, Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla informed reporters, “He (the shooter) went into the building and started shooting randomly, hitting a Grade 10 student on the fourth floor before climbing to the fifth floor and jumping to his death.”
Both Olaso and the police confirmed that the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Hours after the shooting, authorities stated that the situation at the scene had been brought under control.
Police mentioned that several students were injured in the panic during evacuation and have received medical treatment, with no reports of additional fatalities. The Manila Times cited local media reports that the shooting incident left 9 people wounded.
Information from the school’s website reveals that the campus is a five-story building covering 8 hectares, accommodating elementary and high school students affiliated with the university.
The motive behind the student’s actions remains unclear. Remulla stated, “He started livestreaming from the stairs up on Facebook Live, but the livestream was only in segments. We will investigate his gaming and chat records, and until a full forensic examination is done, we cannot come to a complete answer to the incident.”
Ateneo de Zamboanga University, being one of the largest and most prestigious universities in southern Philippines, suspended all classes for all grades on Tuesday and Wednesday following the shooting incident.
Ariel Nepomuceno, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), mentioned that the gunman used a .45 caliber handgun issued by the BOC to the suspect’s father, and he has recommended suspending the suspect’s father from duty and potentially initiating an administrative investigation into the improper handling of official firearms.
Nepomuceno disclosed that the second firearm seized at the scene was also a legally owned personal firearm of the gunman’s father.
Following the shooting, hundreds of students were evacuated urgently. A blurry video aired by local news outlet GMA depicted chaos in the classroom after gunshots, with students scrambling for cover.
Witness Joe Darryl Jaron, who had just dropped off his child at school, heard the gunshots and saw students screaming in panic as they fled. He recorded the scene and shared it on Facebook, writing, “Shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, help! help!”
Social media footage verified by Reuters captured students running out of the campus buildings, with at least four gunshots audible in the background.
Philippine National Police Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. urged the public not to spread unverified information, photos, or videos and assured that authorities would release verified information once confirmed.
This incident marks the second deadly campus shooting in the Philippines within two months. In June of this year, a high school shooting in Tacloban, central Philippines, resulted in the deaths of 3 students and at least 20 injuries. Two students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested by the police in connection with the incident.
Although firearm-related crimes are relatively common in the Philippines, school shooting incidents remain rare. Following the Tacloban shooting, authorities investigated whether online video games could be linked to violent incidents, leading to an indefinite blocking of the game “GoreBox” for investigation, as one of the involved students was identified as an active user of the game.