A shooting occurred at Ateneo de Zamboanga University junior high school in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines, on August 18, 2026, before classes began around 7:50-8:30 a.m. local time [1, 2, 3, 4]. The suspect, reportedly a Grade 7 student, entered the campus armed with a pistol and a rifle and opened fire inside classrooms [1, 5, 6, 2, 7, 3, 4, 8].
Authorities confirmed two fatalities: the gunman, who died by suicide, and one other student [9, 10, 11, 1, 5, 6, 2, 12, 7, 8]. Mayor Khymer Adan Olaso said, "There were two casualties, both students, one of whom was the gunman" [9]. University president Ernald Andal confirmed, "As of now, we confirm that there are two fatalities. There are no more active shooters" [11]. Some reports indicated the number of injuries ranged from two to nine, but exact figures remain unclear [2, 7, 4, 8].
The shooter reportedly fired at least once at a teacher and several students inside classrooms [1, 7]. Police believe the suspect may have been live-streaming the attack and was wearing a body camera during the incident [1, 7]. Following the shooting, the university said it is cooperating fully with authorities and prioritizing student safety. Andal stated, "We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritise the safety of all our students" [11, 1, 12, 8].
Police declared the situation under control at 8:40 a.m. with no remaining threats [1]. Investigations into the motive and any security lapses are ongoing [2, 3, 4]. The shooting marks the second such incident in the Philippines in less than two months, after a June shooting in Tacloban City that caused multiple casualties [11, 1, 12, 7, 8].
The university affirmed the shooting is over and there are no additional casualties beyond the confirmed deaths [11, 1, 5, 6, 12, 8]. Police continue reviewing evidence and witness statements to clarify the timeline and the suspect's actions.
Authorities plan to release more details as the investigation progresses and measures to improve school security are examined.
