THREE students were killed while 13 others were wounded after two of their colleagues aged 14 and 15, opened fire at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban on Monday morning, where reportedly, 40 empty shells were recovered in the said school. This brings to three the incidents of school violence that have occured this month.
The two suspects, aged 14 and 15 and said to be friends, were placed under arrest by the Tacloban City Police Office and they are now being investigated. One of them was apprehended right after the tragic incident, while the other surrendered to authorities later.
The Tacloban police said the two boys used a .38-calibre and 9mm firearms in the said shooting which occured at around 9 a.m.
The 9mm involved reportedly belonged to a policewoman who happens to be a relative of one of the suspects while the .38 cal. meanwhile, reportedly belongs to a security agency.
They reportedly began firing in the hallway and then proceeded to the classrooms, as they also pursued their fleeing classmates.
Authorities are looking into reports that the two suspects have posted on social media pictures of them holding guns and hints of what they were about to do. Another angle being pursued is bullying.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. immediately ordered an investigation into the matter. Malacanang said in a statement that “The President is saddened by the incident.”
Before this, two separate stabbing incidents involving students in Cavite also occurred recently. The latest incident occurred on June 19 at Cavite National High School, where a senior high school student repeatedly stabbed an 18-year-old student.
The victim sustained serious injuries while the 18-year-old suspect was arrested and charged accordingly. The two reportedly had a running feud.
Prior to that, on June 16, seven Grade 5 pupils of Bethel Academy of Gen. Trias, Cavite, were injured, some of them seriously, after they were allegedly attacked by a Grade 8 female student who wielded a kitchen knife as she attacked her schoolmates. She was reportedly brought to a mental health facility for evaluation.
