School shooting in Philippines leaves three dead including gunman
Photo: Reuters
A shooting took place at a school in the southern Philippines on Friday. At least three people including the suspected gunman were killed in the incident, officials said. Several other injured students were taken to hospitals.
The Philippine National Police said in a statement, “Three people have been confirmed dead and several others have been injured in the incident.”
Emergency responders were called to Banga National High School in South Cotabato province on the southern island of Mindanao at around 1:30 p.m. local time.
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo said one of the two students killed was a boy and the other was a girl. Both were 14 years old. The third person killed was the gunman.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia told Reuters that the third person, believed to be a 16-year-old suspected gunman, was also killed.
He said eight people were injured. Four of them were in critical condition. All those injured and killed were between 14 and 17 years old.
Police said, “The incident remains under investigation. Police personnel on duty quickly secured the scene and coordinated with school authorities and medical teams to assist those affected and ensure the safety of students and school staff.”
It was not immediately clear how many gunmen were involved in the attack. No immediate information was available about a possible motive for the attack.
A video posted on Facebook and verified by AFP showed a man carrying an injured child out of the school.
In another video, a teacher speaking in a local dialect was heard saying that there were two gunmen. At the time, a student insisted that they were outsiders who were not from the school.
Source: DW (Adapted)
