Two ninth graders opened fire Monday morning at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, located in the central Philippines. The shooting left three students dead and seven others wounded.
Police have taken two male juveniles into custody. One of the suspects is a student at the government-run school, which serves more than 1,500 students. Both suspects were armed with pistols.
Authorities have deployed forces to increase security at the school as investigators work to determine what sparked the shooting. The national police issued a statement urging the public to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
While crimes involving firearms are prevalent in the Philippines, partly due to the proliferation of unlicensed firearms, school shootings are relatively rare in the nation.