In a tragic incident at a high school in the southern Philippines, a student armed with two pistols fatally shot a fellow student before taking his own life. The violent attack, which was live-streamed using a body-worn camera, unfolded at the Ateneo de Zamboanga university campus in Zamboanga City, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of students. Two additional individuals were injured during the shooting.
The perpetrator, identified as Mohammad Mael Jalani, a Grade 9 student, initially targeted a teacher but missed before shooting a student on the fourth floor. He then proceeded to the fifth floor, where he ended his own life. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that the assailant broadcasted the attack on Facebook Live, capturing moments leading up to the tragic events.
Authorities are investigating the incident, with Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso confirming that the suspect died by suicide. The high school building where the shooting occurred is within a secure campus separate from the main university facilities. Ateneo de Zamboanga, a renowned Catholic institution in the region, suspended classes in response to the tragedy.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as gunshots rang out, prompting students to flee in terror. Police quickly secured the area, assuring parents of the students’ safety. General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the national police chief, urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information that could cause unnecessary alarm.
It was revealed that one of the pistols used by the suspect belonged to his father, a police commander. The Bureau of Customs recommended disciplinary action against the father for negligence in safeguarding the government-issued firearm. While firearm-related crimes are not uncommon in the Philippines, school shootings are infrequent.
The incident comes just two months after a similar tragedy in Tacloban City, where three students were killed and many others injured in a school shooting. The authorities had vowed to enhance school security following that incident, highlighting the ongoing challenges in preventing such acts of violence.