A school sho0ting in the Philippines has left three people dead and several others injured after a 16-year-old student allegedly went on a gun rampage, sending pupils and staff fleeing in panic.
The 16-year-old gunman opened fire on the Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday afternoon before turning the gun on himself, according to local reports.
At least 17 others were injured, four of whom are in critical condition, Banga town mayor Albert Palencia said, adding that all victims were students aged between 14 and 17.
‘The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home ‘because, after lunch, I will be executing my plan’. His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker,’ Palencia told Reuters.
‘After lunch, he started sho0ting students. He hit 10 students before k!lling himself,’ Palencia added.
Local media had been reporting conflicting casualty figures, but the death toll was confirmed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which has deployed social workers to provide victims with psychological support.
The Department of Education said in a statement it was ‘deeply concerned by the reported shooting incident.’
‘Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel,’ the statement said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.
‘We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation,’ the department added.
Officials have not given details on the identity of the shooter, but one image published by local media purports to show the gunman lying de@d on the ground.
Lessons have been suspended while police remain at the scene as they investigate the sho0ting.
It is the country’s third de@dly school incident since June.
Last month, a student live-streamed himself sho0ting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga in the country’s south before taking ‌his own life.
In June, at least three students were k!lled and about 20 others injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus