At least three people were killed and up to seven others wounded when two gunmen opened fire inside a high school in Tacloban City, central Philippines, on Monday morning, according to local police. The attack occurred around 9 a.m. local time at San Jose National High School in Leyte province, during regular classes. Police said eight individuals were struck by gunfire; three were pronounced dead, while the injured were taken to nearby hospitals. The exact number of wounded has been reported variously as five or seven by different official sources.

Two male suspects, both minors, were taken into custody, the Tacloban City Police Office confirmed. At least one of them is a student at the school, and local media identified them by the aliases ‘Rod’ and ‘Nash’. Officers recovered a .38-calibre revolver and a 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the attack. While initial reports suggested one suspect had fled and was later apprehended with the help of residents, police now say both are in detention and are being handled under juvenile justice procedures.

The motive remains under investigation. Philippine news outlets, citing initial questioning, reported that the two suspects were close friends and claimed they had been subjected to bullying at the school. However, a police spokesperson stressed that no official motive has been established and that investigators are still reconstructing the sequence of events. The Department of Education said it was working with law enforcement to secure the campus and was deploying psychosocial support teams for affected students and staff.

School shootings are rare in the Philippines, where legal firearm ownership is tightly controlled but a large illicit market persists. The country has seen targeted gun violence linked to local politics and personal disputes, including a 2022 shooting at Ateneo de Manila University that killed a former mayor and two others. Authorities have increased security at the school and urged the public not to share unverified information. The investigation is ongoing, and the provisional casualty toll remains subject to confirmation.