Shooting at Philippine high school leaves six students dead and 17 injured

Gunfire at Banga National High School

Emergency services received reports of active gunfire at Banga National High School in South Cotabato province at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time (05:30 GMT) on Friday, 18 September 2026. The shooting took place on the island of Mindanao during afternoon classes, triggering evacuations across the campus. Banga town mayor Albert Palencia stated that the suspected assailant was a 16-year-old student who died on the premises from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victims caught in the shooting were between 14 and 17 years old, with local hospitals admitting numerous patients with severe gunshot wounds. Verified video footage from the campus showed responders carrying injured youths away from school buildings, while police units established a security perimeter to inspect the facility.

Conflicting casualty figures

Regional authorities and central agencies released divergent casualty assessments throughout Friday as emergency teams processed the scene. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that at least six students were killed and 17 others were injured, with several victims in serious condition. Earlier statements from local leaders provided lower preliminary tolls while rescue efforts were still underway. South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo initially reported one confirmed death and four hospital admissions. Provincial disaster response official Rolly Doane Aquino later listed three fatalities and six hospitalized victims, whereas Mayor Palencia reported three deaths and eight wounded, including four individuals in critical condition.

Emergency response and campus closures

In response to the violence, the Banga Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office suspended classes across all educational levels throughout the municipality. Philippine Red Cross personnel deployed emergency medical units to the campus to provide urgent care and manage transport logistics. Social workers from the DSWD were dispatched directly to the municipality to provide psychological first aid and mental health assistance to students, faculty, and victim families. The Department of Education confirmed that it is working alongside the Philippine National Police and local government units to clarify the sequence of events.

The education agency addressed the campus community in an official statement:

Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of learners, teachers, and school personnel.

Officials also appealed to the public to stop sharing unverified footage or unconfirmed claims online while investigators worked to establish a motive.

Prior school violence in 2026

The incident in South Cotabato is the third fatal shooting at an educational institution in the Philippines since June 2026. In June, an attack at a high school left three students dead and about 20 injured after two suspects aged 14 and 15 allegedly opened fire over bullying grievances. On 18 August 2026, another campus shooting took place at Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the southern region, resulting in two fatalities, including the attacker. Firearm possession is widespread across the archipelago, but shootings inside educational facilities have remained comparatively infrequent. Police investigators in Banga have not yet established a motive or confirmed whether any secondary suspects aided the 16-year-old perpetrator.