3 teens killed in Tacloban City school shooting

MANILA, Philippines (5th update, 4:53 p.m.) — Three students were killed and seven others were wounded in a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on Monday, June 22.

Two students aged 14 and 15 have been taken into custody as the suspected gunmen, Police Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, director of the Philippine National Police's Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), said in a phone patch interview with reporters.

Both suspected shooters are grade 9 students at the school. Their identities are being withheld to comply with Republic Act 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, according to a statement by PRO-8.

"They are currently under police custody pending referral to the City Social Welfare and Development Office, with all procedures being carried out in accordance with established child-sensitive protocols and legal safeguards," the police office said in a statement.

One suspect was caught at the school shortly after the shooting, the police regional director said. The second suspect was later traced to a nearby barangay, where he had hidden and residents who joined the search found him and alerted the police. 

The students who were shot did not appear to have been the intended targets, Capoy said, but early findings suggested the gunmen had specific people in mind.

Of the three students killed, two were female while one was male, Capoy confirmed. 

Most of the victims were Grade 9 students, and the wounded are currently in stable condition. The gunfire reached two classrooms.

The suspects reportedly used a pistol and a .38-caliber revolver, Capoy said.  

The PNP confirmed Monday afternoon, through spokesperson Allen Rae Co, that the pistol "belongs or was issued to a policewoman assigned in (the Eastern Visayas region)." Meanwhile, the .38 calibre pistol was registered to a security agency in Cebu City.

The two suspects have no prior criminal records.

Earlier, PRO-8 and the Tacloban City Police Office condemned the shooting and said responding officers had been deployed to secure the campus.

The Tacloban City government announced the suspension of classes at San Jose National High School and San Jose Central School, Manlurip Elementary School.

The Department of Education (DepEd) in a statement called the shooting a "high-alert situation" and said it was providing medical and psychosocial support to affected students and staff. It urged the public to respect the privacy of the children involved.

School shootings are rare in the Philippines, even though gun violence is widespread.

The last known shooting incident at a public school took place in Nueva Ecija in 2025, when a 15-year-old female student was shot inside a classroom of Sta. Rosa Integrated School.

That incident had been one of several violent incidents reported on campus in August 2025. This then prompted DepEd to order stricter measures nationwide, including a total ban on firearms, inspection of bags at school entrances, a more visible security presence and controlled entry and exit points. — with reports by Agence-France Presse