At least three students were killed and several others wounded when two teenage boys opened fire inside a government-run high school in Tacloban City, central Philippines, on Monday morning, according to regional police. The attack occurred around 9 a.m. local time at San Jose National High School in Leyte province, sending pupils scrambling for cover as gunfire echoed through classrooms.

The suspects, aged 14 and 15 and both enrolled at the school, were taken into custody, Philippine authorities said. One was apprehended at the scene; the second fled but was later found hiding in a nearby house and surrendered. Police recovered a .38 calibre revolver and a 9mm pistol—the latter registered to a police officer who is a relative of one of the suspects and is now under investigation. The revolver was traced to a private security firm based in Cebu City. Investigators said the attackers moved between two classrooms, discharging more than 40 rounds, and that the campus had only a single guard covering multiple entrances.

The number of wounded remains uncertain: initial police statements and some local media put the figure at five injured, while other reports cite seven, a discrepancy that may reflect whether those hurt while fleeing in panic are included. An initial police inquiry points to a grudge over school bullying as the likely motive, though investigators have not yet established a definitive cause. National police spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co told reporters that violent social-media videos of one suspect firing a gun had been discovered, describing them as “red flags” that, if monitored, might have prevented the attack.

School shootings are extremely rare in the Philippines, a country where gun violence is otherwise common, often linked to local political feuds and a large illicit firearms market. The last high-profile campus attack occurred in 2022, when a gunman killed three people, including a former city mayor, at a university graduation ceremony in the capital, Manila. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a thorough investigation and a review of school security protocols, while the education ministry expressed “deep concern” and called for prayers for those affected.

The two suspects, classified as children in conflict with the law, remain in police custody and are being questioned with their parents present. Under Philippine law, the 14-year-old is exempt from criminal prosecution, while the 15-year-old may face charges only if authorities determine he acted with discernment. The investigation is ongoing, and police have urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information.