Three students were killed and seven others injured on Monday, June 22, 2026, after two teenage students allegedly opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte Province, central Philippines.
Police said the suspects, aged 14 and 15, fired inside classrooms during school hours, triggering panic as students and teachers ran for cover. Both suspects, pupils of the same school, were later arrested.
Teacher Irvin Nogar, a 52-year-old social studies teacher, said he was in class when gunfire erupted and moved quickly to protect his students.
“I locked the classroom and told them to stay calm and hide under their desks,” he said.
Investigators are still working to establish a motive, with early suspicion pointing to possible bullying. Police are also probing how the teens obtained and smuggled firearms into the school.
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The injured students were rushed to hospital, while their conditions remain under observation.
Jennelyn Badoria, mother of a slain student, demanded accountability over the source of the weapons.
The Department of Education placed the school on high alert and deployed officials to coordinate security and support efforts.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed grief and ordered tighter safety measures across schools and public spaces.
School shootings remain rare in the Philippines, though the country has recorded isolated incidents in recent years, including a 2022 attack at Ateneo de Manila University that killed three.
Investigations are ongoing.