A deadly assault inside a central Philippine high school on June 22, 2026, left three students dead and at least 15 others wounded after two teenage classmates opened fire on their peers, sending hundreds of terrified students fleeing the campus.
Regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy confirmed that a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old were arrested following the attack at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, a campus that enrolls more than 1,500 students. Both suspects attend the school and had no prior criminal records.
Most of the victims were female students. One survivor remained in critical condition with severe injuries.
“His condition is under strict observation, but we were told he is fighting for his life,” Tacloban police spokeswoman Evalyn Diaz told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Attack Was Planned Months in Advance
The shooting was not a spontaneous act. Investigators determined the two suspects, who were close friends, had been preparing for the assault since as early as April or May. “Based on our information, as early as May 1, if I’m not mistaken,” Capoy told reporters on June 23.
Capoy said, “The suspects, who were close friends, said in initial questioning that they were bullied in school,” though he declined to elaborate on the specifics of those claims.
The mid-morning violence unfolded across multiple locations on campus. Capoy said the pair forced their way into two separate classrooms, chasing down students who had fled after the initial shots were fired in the first room. Police collected at least 40 shell casings from the scene.
Video footage that spread online showed the terror inside one locked classroom, where students hid under desks, weeping and screaming as gunfire echoed through the hallway. Some could be heard calling their mothers. Other video captured waves of frightened students rushing out of the campus gates, many clutching one another as they escaped.
Security Failures Allowed Weapons Inside
The suspects exploited a critical weakness in campus security to bring two firearms onto school grounds. Capoy said only a single guard was posted to cover multiple entrances and exits, allowing the students to enter undetected. One suspect carried a 9 mm pistol taken from an aunt who works as a police officer. That relative has since been relieved of duty, placed under restrictive custody, and now faces criminal and administrative charges for failing to secure her service weapon. The second suspect brought a .38 caliber revolver.
One suspect was captured on school grounds immediately after the shooting. The other ran from the campus and hid in a nearby residence, where he was located after residents tipped off authorities.
Juvenile Justice Law Complicates Prosecution
The suspects’ ages create significant legal obstacles. A 2006 Philippine law sets the minimum age for criminal liability at 15, meaning the 14-year-old cannot be prosecuted under any circumstances. The 15-year-old may face criminal charges, but only if investigators can prove the suspect clearly understood the crime and its consequences at the time of the attack. Both have been transferred to the custody of the Tacloban City Social Welfare and Development Office under the country’s juvenile justice law.
Investigators have not yet confirmed whether any formal complaints about bullying were ever filed at San Jose National High School before the shooting took place.
National Response and Rare Tragedy
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a comprehensive investigation into the shooting and directed law enforcement agencies to strengthen security measures at schools, workplaces, and other public spaces across the country. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the president was deeply affected by the news, adding that “anybody, especially the parents of the victims, will feel sad and terrified.” The national police also urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with ongoing investigations.
While gun violence tied to unlicensed firearms remains a persistent problem in the Philippines, deadly school shootings are comparatively uncommon. The last major incident drew national attention in 2022, when a gunman opened fire at an upscale Manila-area university ahead of a graduation ceremony, killing a former Philippine city mayor and two other people.
The June 22 attack in Tacloban City has reignited urgent questions about campus security, the accessibility of firearms, and how schools identify and respond to students experiencing bullying before violence erupts.
