Tacloban - At least three students have been killed and seven others wounded after two students opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Central Philippines, on Monday, 22 June 2026 morning.
The deadly school shootings were allegedly committed by the two underage students due to bullying, according to local police on the motive of the crime.
The two student suspects - 14 and 15 years old boys - opened fire at around 9:00 a.m. local time when classes were ongoing inside the school in Barangay San Jose, Leyte Province.
One of the two gunmen was arrested immediately at the scene, while the second fled and was apprehended nearby, following a brief manhunt. Both suspects were identified as students of the same school, one of them a 15-year-old Grade 9 pupil.
Tacloban City Police Chief Col. Noelito Getigan said the motive appeared to be alleged bullying directed at one of the suspects. Both are now being held at Tacloban City Police Station 1 and authorities have not publicly disclosed the names of the victims or the suspects, as the investigation remains ongoing as well as they are still minor.
Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas Director Brigadier General Jason Capoy confirmed the timeline of the attack and said additional police personnel had been deployed around the school to ensure the safety of students, staff, parents, and the surrounding community.
Presidential spokeswoman Claire Castro said authorities had moved swiftly. "The PNP has already caught the suspects. They acted quickly," she told reporters.
The Department of Education's Regional Office 8 said it had coordinated immediately with the Philippine National Police, the Tacloban City Schools Division Office, and school authorities to ensure campus security. The Department of Social Welfare and Development was also contacted to provide psychosocial support to affected students and staff.
From the scene, police investigators found about 40 spent bullet casings.
