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2026 Tacloban school shooting

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2026 Tacloban school shooting
2026 Tacloban school shooting is located in Philippines
2026 Tacloban school shooting
Location within the Philippines
2026 Tacloban school shooting is located in Visayas
2026 Tacloban school shooting
Location within Visayas
Map
Location11°12′01″N 125°01′15″E / 11.2003°N 125.0209°E / 11.2003; 125.0209
San Jose National High School,[1] San Jose, Tacloban, Philippines
DateJune 22, 2026 (2026-06-22)
c. 9:20 a.m. (UTC+08:00)
Attack type
Weapons
Deaths3[4]
Injured20 (5 indirectly; combined total)[4]
Perpetrators2 teenagers
DefenderChris Fabian (among the deaths)
MotiveRevenge for bullying[3][5] or nihilistic violent extremism[6] (both suspected)
Accused"Rod"[a] (age 15)
ChargesThree counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries

On June 22, 2026, at approximately 9:20 a.m. (PHT),[7] a school shooting occurred at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, Philippines. Three students were killed and 20 others were injured.[8][9] Two suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested in connection with the shooting; one was apprehended at the scene, while the other was captured following a manhunt.[10]

The incident was widely described as an "extremely rare" case of a school shooting within the country, along with the Ateneo de Manila University shooting in 2022 often being cited as the last recorded case, which however was a targeted political killing, with non-student victims.[11][12][13] It has renewed debate around the prosecution of juvenile offenders, as well as internet safety of children in the Philippines.[14][15]

Background

[edit]
See also: Crime in the Philippines

While gun violence is common in the Philippines, school shootings are extremely rare, with this incident being one of the first in Tacloban. A shooting incident happened in 2022 during a graduation ceremony at the Ateneo de Manila University in Metro Manila that killed three people, but this was a targeted killing of a former mayor by a non-student.[16] According to the Philippine National Police, there were nearly 5,000 gun violence cases nationwide in 2024.[17]

Online activities

[edit]

One of the suspects was found to have previously posted videos related to violent gun use. The police is further investigating the digital footprints of the suspects, particularly their social media activities, search histories, and visits to online communities, following reports that one of them was wearing an outfit similar to one worn by one of the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the United States.[18][19][20] One of the suspects also previously played a violence-themed sandbox-type video game, according to the official investigation.[21]

Prior to the attack, the two suspects did research on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and believed they will be spared from the criminal liability, according to screenshots of message exchanges between the two that were leaked online and later officially confirmed by the police.[22] This information prompted Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara and Undersecretary for Operations Dr. Malcolm Garma to comment that the attack was a "planned mission" by the suspects.[23]

Shooting

[edit]

According to a timeline provided by the police, 14-year-old student "Nash"[a] arrived at the high school and participated in the school's flag-raising ceremony that was held at around 7:30 a.m. (PHT). He then proceeded to one of the school's restrooms to wait for 15-year-old student "Rod".[a] At around 8:30 a.m., Rod joined Nash in the restroom. The two suspects then left the restroom and started roaming the school premises by 9 a.m.[24]

The suspects opened fire at around 9:20 a.m. while classes were ongoing.[7][25] The incident was immediately reported to the police two minutes later.[7] Tacloban police chief Noelito Getigan told reporters that the suspects used a .38 caliber revolver and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the shooting.[3] The students at the campus were originally unsure of what was happening before panicking.[26] According to the investigator's interview, the suspects scampered off after firing shots, unsuccessful in hitting their targets.[27] A video posted to social media showed students and teachers trying to hide in a classroom as several gunshots were being fired.[28] One suspect originally shot outside a classroom window before entering the room, with all students ducking according to a teacher. Another teacher said that he saw a person holding a gun outside the room while conducting a lesson, ducking along with his students for safety.[26]

One of the shooters was arrested immediately after the shooting, having been restrained by teachers and students at the school. Social media videos showed the shooter apprehended and accompanied by a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officer and a civilian before boarding a police vehicle. The other shooter fled the scene and hid in a residence 200 meters (660 ft) away from the high school. A student said in an interview to have seen the fleeing shooter enter their house and then exit through the laundry area, no longer holding a gun.[29] After the police received information that the second suspect was hiding in his house, they arrived at the residence at 10 a.m. The suspect did not leave the house, so the police eventually left, but a neighboring tricycle driver escorted the suspect to the police station.[30][31]

The acting chief of the PNP's Public Information Office, Colonel Allen Rae Co, stated that the suspect armed with the revolver only fired a single round, while the suspect who used the Glock pistol had three rounds left and reloaded at least once during the shooting. Two empty magazines were also recovered at the crime scene.[32][33]

Victims

[edit]
Casualties

Fatalities

  1. Chris Lorenz Fabian, 15, Boy Scout, Grade 10
  2. Joyancee Separa, 15, Grade 9
  3. Ayessa Nicole Dazo, 14, Grade 9

Wounded
15 students, including:

  1. Joan Vinias, Grade 10
  2. Nathan Candelario, Grade 9

Three people were killed at the scene and 20 others were injured.[8][9] All three of those killed were students: two females and one male.[34][35][36]

The male victim was identified to be Chris Lorenz Fabian, a 15-year-old Boy Scout in Grade 10, who tried to prevent one of the shooters from opening the door and entering a classroom.[37][29]

The two female students confirmed to be among the fatalities were Joyancee Separa, aged 15, and Ayessa Nicole Dazo, aged 14, both in Grade 9. Separa was able to film the incident inside a classroom in a viral video circulated online, which showed Fabian's attempt on closing and blocking the door before being fatally shot. Dazo, meanwhile, was filmed being carried outside of the school campus by civilians after being shot at, but later died.[29]

Among the 15 directly injured in the shooting are Joan Vinias and Nathan Candelario, students in Grade 10 and 9, respectively. Vinias was not feeling well that Monday morning and considered skipping school but proceeded because of a class presentation. She sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Candelario, meanwhile, was hit in the intestines. Both Vinias and Candelario are currently in the hospital and in critical condition.[38]

Suspects

[edit]

The two arrested individuals were identified as minors and were specified in the official police investigation by aliases: "Rod" and "Nash", 15 and 14 years of age respectively.[39][40] Initial reports identified the suspects as both students of the school, but the police later clarified that only one of the suspects is a student of the school while the other is an outsider.[7][41] The school student was described as quiet and socially withdrawn by his teacher, stating that the suspect was supposed to be in Grade 10 but was held back due to low grades.[42][43]

The Glock pistol used in the incident reportedly belonged to the aunt of one of the suspects, a police officer assigned to the Eastern Visayas Police Regional Office.[44] The revolver pistol was registered to a security agency in Cebu City[45] but had been in the possession of the grandfather of one of the shooters who used to work as a security guard.[46] Later investigations revealed that the revolver's serial number also showed up on another firearm registered in Bohol.[47]

The initial police report identified the motive as a "grudge" due to the alleged bullying of one of the suspects.[48][49] Later, the Department of Justice (DOJ) considered the possibility that the shooting to be a case of nihilistic violent extremism, stating that minors could have been exposed to certain influences online.[50]

According to a police official from the Police Regional Office 8, police investigators determined that the two suspects planned the attack as early as May 1, and were surprised to learn that the two were aware of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act No. 9344 and planned the attack accordingly, as they were convinced that they would not go to jail if they carry out the gun attack because they are minors.[51]

The DOJ issued a statement that under RA No. 9344, a minor is not automatically exempted from accountability. For offending minors below 15 years old, they are subject to mandatory intervention programs like community-based actions overseen by local government officials and social workers. Offenders ages 15 to 18, can still be subject to criminal charges if "discernment" or capacity to understand that one's actions are wrong is established.[6]

Police Regional Office 8 formally filed criminal complaints against "Rod", through the Office of the City Prosecutor of Tacloban, on June 24. The complaint charges the 15-year old with three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries.[52]

Reactions and aftermath

[edit]
Education secretary Sonny Angara (center) inspected San Jose National High School the day after the shooting.

DepEd classified the incident as a "high-alert situation" and condemned the shooting. President Bongbong Marcos issued a statement and called for a thorough investigation. Police urged the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information. Classes at San Jose National High School as well as two nearby schools were suspended following the shooting,[53] which was followed by another directive that suspended classes in all public elementary and secondary schools in Tacloban.[54][55] Six schools in Tacloban and Palo, Leyte, and other schools in Calbayog, Borongan, and Naval, announced strengthened coordination with local police units and tighter security measures.[56] After the shooting and two separate knife incidents in Cavite schools, PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez announced coordination with DepEd to protect students[57] and appealed to the public to refrain from spreading videos of the Tacloban City incident as well as in other incidents, adding that the reckless circulation of graphic videos is a "digital nuisance and an act of cruelty that re-victimizes survivors and forces grieving families to relive their worst nightmares repeatedly".[58]

Leyte 1st district representative Martin Romualdez urged law enforcement to commence a probe on the shooting.[59] Senator Robin Padilla reiterated his push to amend Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility. In 2025, he filed Senate Bill No. 372, which proposes that children ages 10 to 17 could face criminal charges for heinous crimes, including murder, rape, parricide, and drug-related crimes.[60] Senator Kiko Pangilinan, the principal author of Republic Act No. 9344, emphasized that the suspects should not be exempted from civil liability under the law,[61] while Senators JV Ejercito and Bong Go told the public to be careful on information regarding the incident. Senate president Sherwin Gatchalian said the shooting was "unacceptable".[62]

Senator Risa Hontiveros announced that the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality will continue conducting hearings on July 1, 2026, as a follow-up on the April 14 inquiry which discussed the usage of online and gaming platforms to allegedly radicalize children to commit violence.[63]

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) temporarily blocked the indie sandbox game GoreBox after one of the suspects was discovered to be an avid player of the game.[64][65] The game is R-18 and is noted for depiction of blood and dismemberment.[66] CICC noted that the game "allows players to experiment with various weapons and is known for its graphic depictions of violence" and cite the game's advertisment as "a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction". CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paralso said that "beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately."[67]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c An alias provided by the police.[24]

References

[edit]
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  2. ^ Cabato, Luisa (June 23, 2026). "TIMELINE: PNP details how Tacloban school shooting unfolded". inquirer.net.
  3. ^ a b c Gomez, Manuel (June 22, 2026). "Three killed, five injured in school shooting in central Philippines". Reuters. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Gabieta, Joey A. (June 23, 2026). "Number of wounded due to Tacloban school shooting now at 20". Inquirer.net. Tacloban City. Retrieved June 23, 2026. [Lt. Col. Analiza] Armeza also dismissed reports circulating on social media that the death toll had increased to four. "The number of casualties is still at three. Hopefully, this will remain," she said.
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  66. ^ Barreiro, Victor Jr. (June 23, 2026). "What is 'GoreBox', the video game temporarily banned by the CICC?". Rappler. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  67. ^ "CICC TEMPORARILY BANS GOREBOX AFTER TACLOBAN SCHOOL SHOOTING INCIDENT". Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center. June 23, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
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