Two people have died and another two are injured after a school shooting in a southern part of the Philippines.
The shooter, a student carrying a high-powered firearm, took aim at fellow students inside a classroom at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University High School on Tuesday morning, Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso told local radio station DZMM.
One student and the shooter died, while two other students were injured, he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
The university’s president Ernald Andal confirmed it was no longer an active shooting and there were no additional fatalities or reported injuries. “As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities,” Andal said. “There are no more active shooters.”
Andal said the university was coordinating with authorities and would provide more details as information became available. “We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritise the safety of all our students,” he said.
It was the second school shooting in as many months in the Philippines, which has strict gun ownership laws. Firearms do, however, at times find their way into unauthorised hands through the black market.