Fatal Shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University Campus

On Tuesday, a grade-nine student identified by police as Mohammad Mael Jalani entered the high-school building of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, Philippines, armed with two pistols. He opened fire indiscriminately, striking a Grade 10 student on the fourth floor before moving to the fifth floor and jumping to his death. Police reported that two additional people were injured and that hundreds of students were evacuated from the campus after the gunshots rang out.

South China Morning Post

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said authorities will conduct a forensic analysis that includes reviewing Jalani’s gaming and chat histories to determine possible motives. He noted that the incident was partially captured on a live-streamed video, though only brief snippets were available. The police investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not released a definitive explanation for the shooting.

South China Morning Post

• “He entered and started indiscriminately firing, hitting a Grade 10 student at the fourth floor then subsequently went to the fifth floor and jumped from the said building and committed suicide,” — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla

South China Morning Post

• “He showed this on Facebook Live starting when he was climbing up the stairs but there were only snippets,” — Jonvic Remulla, interior secretary

South China Morning Post

The Zamboanga shooting marks the second fatal school shooting in the Philippines within a two-month span, highlighting a rare but growing concern over campus violence in the country. Local media circulated video footage showing the barrel of one gun moving down a hallway in a manner reminiscent of a first-person-shooter video game before being aimed at a classroom. The livestream, posted to Facebook, captured students fleeing the scene in panic. Authorities continue to assess the broader implications of the incident for school security policies and the potential influence of online gaming culture on youth behavior.

South China Morning Post