Student opens fire live at school in Philippines (video)

A horrific school shooting occurred on August 18 in the city of Zamboanga, Philippines. A student shot and killed a classmate and then killed himself. The incident was broadcast live on social media, Reuters reported.

This is the second such incident in the Philippines in the past two months. The country's President Ferdinand Marcos ordered law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and stressed that measures would be taken to prevent violence in schools. "Schools are places where our children learn, grow and dream about the future. They should be one of the safest places in our country," Marcos said in a statement.

The shooting occurred at a school affiliated with the private Ateneo de Zamboanga University. According to initial police reports, the attacker brought a pistol and a rifle into the school grounds. Zamboanga City Mayor Himer Adan Olaso said the student was wearing a body camera and live-streaming the attack. A video posted online shows the shooter entering a classroom, opening fire, then switching weapons and entering a second classroom to fire again. The motive for the attack is still unknown. A customs official said the shooter used a .40-caliber handgun. The gun was given to his father by the Bureau of Customs, who has since been relieved of his duties. A second gun found at the scene also belonged to his father.

Video aired by GMA News showed chaos and confusion. Students ran for cover as gunshots rang out. Police said the deceased student was a 10th-grader, while the shooter, a 9th-grader, killed himself. Two others were also injured. City Councilor Frederick Atilano added that the deceased student was found on the fourth floor of the school, while the gunman committed suicide on the fifth floor.

The school building is five stories high and covers an area of 8 hectares. The building houses the university's elementary and high schools. Several students were injured in the panic during the escape and were treated for medical attention. Classes at the school were temporarily suspended.

A similar incident occurred in June at a public school in Tacloban City, when two students opened fire, killing at least three students and wounding about 20 others.

School shootings are rare in the Philippines, which has strict gun laws and requires background checks and background checks to obtain a gun. However, the proliferation of illegal weapons remains a problem.