Teen Gunman Kills Students In Mindanao School Attack

A 16-year-old gunman opened fire at Banga National High School in the southern Philippines on Friday afternoon, killing two students and injuring eight others before he reportedly took his own life, local officials said.

The victims were 14-year-old pupils from the town of Banga in Mindanao, according to Mayor Albert Palencia, who spoke to the BBC. He said four of the injured students were in critical condition.

Victims And Injuries

The education department said it was monitoring reports of the shooting and confirmed it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide support.

The department said its “immediate priority” was the safety and welfare of learners, teachers and other school staff. It also urged people not to share unverified information as investigators work to establish the facts.

Local media reported that police were at the scene carrying out inquiries.

Investigation And School Closures

Classes were suspended “in all levels in the entire municipality of Banga”, disaster management authorities said in a statement after the attack.

The Philippines Red Cross said it was alerted at 14:00 local time (06:00 GMT) and dispatched an ambulance with four paramedics to provide emergency treatment.

Palencia told Reuters that the gunman had spoken to friends during lunchtime on Friday and urged them to go home because, after lunch, he planned to carry out what he described as his attack.

Reuters reported that the mayor said the group initially laughed, describing the teenager as a known joker. After lunch, Palencia said, the shooter began firing at students and hit 10 before dying by suicide.

Recent Attacks And Calls For Responsible Storage

The shooting was the third deadly incident at a Philippine school since June, officials said, highlighting how uncommon campus shootings remain compared with other forms of gun crime.

Gun violence is prevalent in the country, which has among the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, although school attacks are still rare.

In June, three students were killed and more were injured after students opened fire at a high school in central Philippines. Investigators said the attack was linked to a “grudge” involving bullying.

In August, a student at a Catholic junior high school in southern Philippines shot dead a classmate and later took his own life. In that case, Reuters reported that the suspect fired at a teacher but missed, then moved to another classroom and shot a student who later died.

After Friday’s shooting, South Cotabato governor Reynaldo Tamayo urged adult gun owners to store firearms responsibly and ensure minors could not access them.

He told Reuters that authorities could not rely solely on a small number of security personnel to monitor thousands of students, adding that action was needed to prevent minors from getting access to guns.

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18 September 2026

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