Three students were killed and at least seven others wounded after two ninth-grade students opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte province, on Monday morning. The suspects, who were armed with pistols, targeted their fellow students in the government-run school which has more than 1,500 students.
Police have taken two juvenile suspects into custody, one of whom is a student at the school. Investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the shooting, though the suspects claimed they were bullied at school.
Authorities have deployed forces to beef up security and have urged the public to remain calm and refrain from disseminating unverified information. While crimes involving the use of firearms are prevalent in the Philippines partly due to the proliferation of unlicensed weapons, school shootings are relatively rare in the nation.