Red Cross members arrive at Banga National High School in the town of Banga, Philippines, on September 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Philippine Red Cross via AP
At least three people were killed in a school shooting in the southern Philippines on Friday (September 18, 2026), including the 16-year-old suspected gunman, with eight others injured, the town’s Mayor said.
Four of the eight injured were in critical condition, and all the victims were students aged 14 to 17, Banga town Mayor Albert Palencia told Reuters.
The incident follows two shootings since June at schools in the south of the country. School shootings were previously rare in the Philippines.
The Department of Education said it was deeply concerned over the reported shooting in Banga town in South Cotabato.
A student last month live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga before taking his own life.
In June, at least three students were killed and about 20 others injured in an attack at a public high school in Tacloban, where two classmates opened fire on campus.
The Philippines has relatively strict gun ownership regulations, including background checks and psychological evaluation requirements, although illegal firearms remain in circulation.
The incident also follows a high-profile incident in Thailand in August, where a student went on a shooting rampage at a school on the outskirts of the capital, Bangkok.
Published – September 18, 2026 01:13 pm IST
