Two teenage students opened fire at a high school in the central Philippines on Monday, June 22, 2026, killing three fellow students and wounding seven others.

The tragic incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. local time at the government-run San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Leyte province, while classes were actively underway.

Panic erupted inside the campus as the suspects, armed with a 9mm pistol and a .38 caliber revolver, barged into two classrooms and fired randomly at students. Most of the deceased and wounded victims were confirmed to be female students.

The two suspects, close friends aged 14 and 15 who are also students at the school, were swiftly apprehended by law enforcement. One was arrested directly on the campus immediately following the attack, while the second fled the scene but was later tracked down by police in a nearby residence.

During initial interrogation by the regional police command, the underage gunmen revealed that severe bullying was the primary motive behind the coordinated assault.

Regional police chief Brigadier General Jason Capoy noted that neither suspect had a prior criminal record, adding that the teenagers successfully smuggled the firearms past the school’s sole security guard on duty.

In response to the rare mass shooting, Philippine President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed deep sadness and ordered a comprehensive investigation into how the minors acquired the firearms, while directing national law enforcement to immediately bolster security across all public schools and workplaces nationwide.