A school shooting occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. on August 18, 2026, at the junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern Philippines [1, 2, 3, 4]. The shooter, identified as a Grade 9 student, carried a .45-calibre pistol and a rifle onto campus and opened fire inside a classroom without provocation [1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Authorities later found the shooter’s body in a fifth-floor hallway after he killed himself. Another student in Grade 10 was also found dead on the floor below [1, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7, 8].
The shooter livestreamed the attack on social media before taking his own life, according to city mayor Khymer Adan Olaso, who confirmed the livestream and said investigations are ongoing [3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. At least two other students were wounded, though some sources reported as many as nine injured [1, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. The attack took place as classes were about to start in the morning [1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9].
Eyewitnesses said many students initially thought the gunshots were part of a recent active shooter drill the school held a month earlier following a June school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three students [1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11]. One Grade 7 student said: "When we heard the first gunshot, we all went silent. I was thinking it was just another drill... Our teacher asked us to lock the door, and we placed tables and chairs against the door" [1].
Authorities are investigating how the shooter obtained the firearms. The guns allegedly belonged to his father, a customs or port security official who has been placed on preventive suspension pending the probe [3, 4, 6, 8]. The shooter was described as a talkative student and a Roblox gamer [8].
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed grief over the tragedy, saying, "We grieve with the families and the entire [school] community over a tragedy that should never have happened." He ordered a thorough investigation and urged measures to prevent similar incidents [3, 8]. Mayor Olaso also emphasized the ongoing investigation, stating, "A ninth-grade student managed to enter carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45-calibre pistol. He livestreamed the attack on social media" [3].
The shooting marked the second fatal school attack in the Philippines in recent months, following the June 2026 Tacloban incident. Meanwhile, local authorities continue to examine the circumstances around the gun access and security at the Ateneo de Zamboanga campus.
