Rare school shooting in Philippines kills three students, prompts safety review and gaming app ban

On June 22, 2026, a rare school shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Philippines, left three students dead and up to 20 others injured. Two teenage suspects, aged 14 and 15, allegedly motivated by bullying, used a 9mm pistol and a .38-caliber revolver in the attack. In response, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation, while authorities launched school safety reviews and temporarily banned the violent online gaming app GoreBox, which one suspect played.

School shooting incident and casualties

• ▪The shooting at San Jose National High School on June 22, 2026, left multiple other students injured, with reports ranging from 7 to 20 casualties
• ▪On June 22, 2026, a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, Philippines, killed three students

Suspects and weapon details

• ▪Two male students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested and taken into custody as the suspects in the Tacloban school shooting
• ▪The suspects used a 9mm Glock pistol belonging to a police officer relative and a .38-caliber revolver registered to a Cebu City security agency

Government response and safety reviews

• ▪Philippine education and civil defense officials announced a review of school safety protocols, emergency preparedness, and anti-bullying policies
• ▪Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a thorough investigation into the shooting and directed law enforcement to boost security in schools

Gaming app ban and online influences

• ▪The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center temporarily blocked the online gaming app GoreBox as a precautionary measure following the shooting
• ▪Investigators found that one of the teenage suspects regularly played GoreBox, a sandbox-style action game depicting graphic violence

Juvenile justice and bullying debates

• ▪Initial questioning of the suspects indicated they may have been motivated by a grudge related to school bullying
• ▪The shooting has renewed debate in the Philippines over lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years of age

School violence context

• ▪The Human Rights Commission noted other recent school violence, including two separate stabbing incidents in Cavite province schools
• ▪School shootings are rare in the Philippines, which has relatively strict regulations on civilian gun ownership