A Grade 9 student opened fire at a Catholic university in the southern Philippines on Tuesday morning, killing one classmate and fatally shooting himself in an attack that was livestreamed on Facebook, police said.
The shooting occurred at approximately 7:50 a.m. local time at Ateneo de Zamboanga Junior High School in Zamboanga City. The alleged gunman, identified by police as Mohammad Mael Jalani, concealed firearms in a bag and walked to a fourth-floor classroom where he pointed a weapon at a teacher. His gun jammed, allowing some students to flee into another classroom before he cleared the malfunction and opened fire, killing Grade 10 student Patrick Dylan Wee. At least two others were injured.
Livestreamed Attack
Investigators said Jalani wore a body camera and started a Facebook livestream before entering the classroom. After the shooting, he showed his face to the camera and fatally shot himself in the head while simultaneously ending the broadcast. Facebook subsequently suspended the shooters account. Police recovered a Glock .45 caliber pistol and a second pistol fitted with a modification kit at the scene. The Glock was registered to the shooters father.
Father Relieved From Post
The suspects father is a senior enforcement official at the Port of Zamboanga under the Bureau of Customs. Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno ordered the father placed under preventive suspension pending an investigation into possible negligence in the safekeeping of his service firearm. Nepomuceno also ordered a comprehensive review of the bureaus firearm issuance and management system.
Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso described the shooter as a very bright student and a Roblox fanatic. Relatives and classmates told reporters they found it difficult to believe the teenager was capable of such violence. Classes at the school were suspended through Wednesday to allow the community to recover.
Presidential Response
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation and directed law enforcement agencies to determine what additional measures are needed to prevent similar tragedies. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the shooting strengthens calls for reforming the Philippines firearm laws. The Department of Education said it is coordinating with mental health partners to provide psychological support to those affected.
The Zamboanga shooting is the second school attack in the Philippines in 2026, following a shooting at a high school in Tacloban in June that killed three students and wounded 20. In that case, two students were arrested. School shootings remain relatively rare in the Philippines, though gun violence fueled by the proliferation of unlicensed firearms is widespread across the country.
Sources: Reuters; BBC News; Philstar/The Freeman; ABS-CBN; Philippine News Agency
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