On June 22, 2026, at approximately 9:13a.m. (PHT), a school shooting occurred at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, Philippines. Three students were killed and twenty others were injured. Two suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested in connection with the shooting; one was apprehended at the scene, while the other was captured following a manhunt.
The incident was widely described as an "extremely rare" case of a school shooting within the country, with the Ateneo de Manila University shooting in 2022 often being cited as the last recorded case. However, the Ateneo de Manila University shooting was a targeted political killing with non-student victims. It has renewed debate around the prosecution of juvenile offenders, as well as internet safety of children in the Philippines.
A Senate investigation confirmed the shooting incident's connection with the online terrorist organization 764, known for its nihilistic violent extremism (NVE). The intel was confirmed by intelligence agencies across the government and international organizations. The investigations found that the group groomed and radicalized children and their presence has been confirmed in the Philippines. The FBI considers 764 as a significant national security threat, and cybersecurity experts view the Tacloban shooting as 764's first "completed attack" anywhere in the world, making the Philippines their testing ground. The PNP has revealed that a total of 24 Filipino minors have been rescued from the influence of the online extremist group.
Background
While gun violence is common in the Philippines, school shootings are extremely rare, with this incident being one of the first in Tacloban. A shooting incident happened in 2022 during a graduation ceremony at the Ateneo de Manila University in Metro Manila that killed three people, but this was a targeted killing of a former mayor by a non-student. According to the Philippine National Police, there were nearly 5,000 gun violence cases nationwide in 2024.
Online activities One of the suspects was found to have previously posted videos related to violent gun use. The police is further investigating the digital footprints of the suspects, particularly their social media activities, search histories, and visits to online communities, following reports that one of them was wearing an outfit similar to one worn by one of the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. One of the suspects also previously played a violence-themed sandbox-type video game named GoreBox Animosity, according to the official investigation.
Prior to the attack, the two suspects did research on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and believed they would be spared from the criminal liability, according to screenshots of message exchanges between the two that were leaked online and later officially confirmed by the police.
Shooting According to a timeline provided by the police, 14-year-old student "Nash" arrived at the high school at around 7:07 a.m. and participated in the school's flag-raising ceremony that was held at around 7:30a.m. (PHT)But he didn't attend classes and was the only one absent. He then met with 15-year-old student "Rod" at Building 1 near the main gate of the school at 8:09 a.m. before they both went to a restroom three minutes later. Nash changed his clothes from his school uniform to a white sweatshirt, black fatigue pants, boots, and gloves before leaving the restroom by 8:27 a.m.
The suspects opened fire at around 9:13a.m., while classes were ongoing. Video footage captured by the school's CCTV showed the students panicking upon hearing the gunshots. The incident was reported to the police minutes later, with one reporting the incident via hotline by 9:16 a.m. followed by an individual personally reporting the incident at a nearby police station a minute later. The suspects used a .38 caliber revolver and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol in the shooting, and roamed the school's blue and green buildings. Students at the campus were originally unsure of what was happening before panicking. According to the investigator's interview, the suspects scampered off after firing shots, unsuccessful in hitting their targets. A video posted to social media showed students and teachers trying to hide in a classroom as several gunshots were being fired. One suspect originally shot outside a classroom window before entering the room, with all students ducking according to a teacher. Another teacher said that, while he was conducting a lesson, he saw a person holding a gun outside the room, and ducked along with his students for safety.
At around 9:19 a.m., police and personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) arrived at the scene. Rod then went to the basketball court in an attempt to flee the scene, before being restrained and arrested by a BFP officer at around 9:25 a.m. His capture and subsequent arrest was filmed and circulated in social media. Meanwhile, Nash fled the scene and hid in a residence away. A student said that they saw the fleeing shooter enter their house and then exit through the laundry area, no longer holding a gun. The police arrived at the residence at 10a.m. The suspect did not leave the house, so the police eventually left, but a neighboring tricycle driver escorted the suspect to the police station by 10:15 a.m.
Investigation revealed that the suspect armed with the revolver only fired a single round, while the suspect who used the Glock had three rounds left and reloaded at least once during the shooting. Two empty magazines were also recovered at the crime scene.
Victims
Three people were killed at the scene and twenty others were injured. All three of those killed were students: two females and one male.
The male victim was identified to be Chris Lorenz Fabian, a 15-year-old in Grade 10, who tried to prevent one of the shooters from opening the door and entering a classroom. Fabian was a member and a Senior Scout of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. His family traces its roots to Pampanga with both his parents having originated from the province.
The two female victims were Joyancee Separa, aged 15 and in Grade 10, and Ayessa Nicole Dazo, aged 14 and in Grade 9. Separa was able to film the incident inside a classroom in a viral video circulated online, which showed Fabian's attempt to close and block the door before being fatally shot. Dazo, meanwhile, was filmed being carried outside of the school campus by civilians after being shot, but later died.
Among the 15 directly injured in the shooting were Joan Vinias and Nathan Candelario, students in Grade 10 and 9, respectively. Vinias was not feeling well that morning and considered skipping school but proceeded because of a class presentation. She sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Candelario, meanwhile, was hit in the intestines. Gerric Bituin, aged 15, is friends with "Nash" and noted that the suspect was acting differently during the flag raising ceremony. He was shot by "Nash" in the back, passing through his neck and hitting his chin, as he was about the move from his hiding position in his classroom. The three identified injured were admitted to the intensive care unit and are now in stable condition.
Suspects The two arrested individuals were identified as minors and were specified in the official police investigation by the aliases: "Rod" and "Nash", 15 and 14 years of age respectively. Initial reports identified both of the suspects as students of the school, but the police later clarified that only one was a student, while the other was an outsider. The school student was described as quiet and socially withdrawn by his teacher, stating that the suspect was supposed to be in Grade 10 but was held back due to low grades.
The Glock pistol used in the incident was a service firearm reportedly issued to the aunt of one of the suspects, a police officer assigned to the Eastern Visayas Police Regional Office. The aunt later said that her nephew had broken into her house to steal the weapon, which was stored at a gun box inside a plastic locker. The revolver was registered to a security agency in Cebu City, but had been in the possession of one of the shooters' grandfathers, who used to work as a security guard. Later investigations revealed that the revolver's serial number also showed up on another firearm registered in Bohol.
The initial police report identified the motive as a "grudge" due to the alleged bullying of one of the suspects. Later, the Department of Justice (DOJ) considered the possibility of nihilistic violent extremism, stating that minors could have been exposed to certain influences online.
Police investigators determined that the suspects planned the attack as early as May 1, and were surprised to learn that the two were aware of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act No. 9344 and planned the attack accordingly, as they were convinced that they would not go to jail if they carry out the gun attack because they are minors. The DOJ issued a statement that, under RA No. 9344, a minor is not automatically exempted from accountability. For offending minors below 15 years old, they are subject to mandatory intervention programs like community-based actions overseen by local government officials and social workers. Offenders ages 15 to 18, can still be subject to criminal charges if "discernment" or capacity to understand that one's actions are wrong is established.
Police Regional Office 8 formally filed criminal complaints against "Rod", through the Office of the City Prosecutor of Tacloban, on June 24. The complaint charges the 15-year-old with three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries. Both suspects were placed under intervention by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Reactions and aftermath
Immediate aftermath DepEd classified the incident as a "high-alert situation" and condemned the shooting. President Bongbong Marcos issued a statement and called for a thorough investigation. Police urged the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information. Classes at San Jose National High School as well as two nearby schools were suspended following the shooting, which was followed by another directive that suspended classes in all public elementary and secondary schools in Tacloban. Six schools in Tacloban and Palo, Leyte, and other schools in Calbayog, Borongan, and Naval, announced strengthened coordination with local police units and tighter security measures. After the shooting and two separate knife incidents in Cavite schools, PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez announced coordination with DepEd to protect students and appealed to the public to refrain from spreading videos of the Tacloban incident as well as in other incidents, adding that the reckless circulation of graphic videos is a "digital nuisance and an act of cruelty that re-victimizes survivors and forces grieving families to relive their worst nightmares repeatedly".
Psychological first aid sessions were conducted by the Tacloban Schools Division for the 352 students who directly witnessed the shooting, around 1,300 other students who were on campus during the incident, and 110 school staff.
The Boy Scouts of the Philippines expressed its condolences to the victims while also recognizing Chris Lorenz Fabian for his "heroism" for defending his classmates. He was given the Gold Gallantry and Heroism Award, the highest recognition award by the scouting organization. The Pampanga Provincial Board also declared Fabian as the "Pride of Pampanga" for similar reasons.
School security in the Philippines