BANGA, South Cotabato — Three students are now confirmed dead and seven others injured following the shooting inside Banga National High School in Barangay Benitez, Banga, South Cotabato, on Friday, September 18, in an incident that has left the school community and the wider province in shock.
The latest progress report from the Banga Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office identified the three fatalities as students who were declared dead on arrival at three separate hospitals: one at South Cotabato Provincial Hospital, one at Dantom Hospital and one at SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital.
The same report listed seven injured students who were brought to hospitals for treatment. Two were taken to SOCCSKSARGEN General Hospital, four to South Cotabato Provincial Hospital and one initially brought to Dantom Hospital before being referred to Pingoy Hospital.
The casualty figures remain subject to reconciliation as different government agencies issued varying preliminary counts during the rapidly developing emergency.
The reported gunman was among those killed. Authorities have identified him as a Grade 9 student of Banga National High School who allegedly turned the firearm on himself after shooting at fellow students. The Philippine National Police and local officials continue to investigate the circumstances of the attack.
Governor Raises Possible Online-Community Link
South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr. said investigators are looking into information that the student was involved in an online group described as a “True Crime Community.”
Tamayo said the information came from the suspect’s acquaintances and that authorities were investigating the nature of the online community and its possible relevance to the shooting.
The governor’s statement does not by itself establish that membership in, or participation in, such an online community caused or motivated the attack. Investigators still have to determine what the group was, what activities it involved, whether the student actually participated in it, and whether any online activity had a direct connection to the shooting.
Earlier reports similarly quoted Tamayo as saying the suspect was part of an internet community, with authorities still investigating what was involved in the group.
Any claim that the suspect was actively recruiting other students into the group should likewise be treated as an allegation pending independent verification.
Firearm Allegedly Came From the Student’s Family
Another major focus of the investigation is how the student obtained the firearm used in the shooting.
Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said in a media interview that the firearm reportedly belonged to the student’s father and had allegedly been kept inside a vault. According to the mayor’s account, the student was able to open the vault and obtain the weapon.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla separately said the student’s father was an LGU employee and a disaster risk officer and that preliminary information indicated the firearm may have belonged to him.
The accounts concerning the father’s employment and the ownership and storage of the firearm still require formal confirmation through the investigation.
The circumstances surrounding access to the weapon are now a critical part of the probe, particularly because the suspect was a minor.
South Cotabato Governor Tamayo has also called attention to the responsibility of firearm owners to ensure that guns are securely stored and inaccessible to children.
Shooting Sent Students and Teachers Running for Safety
The shooting erupted shortly after 1 p.m., according to initial official accounts.
As gunfire rang out, students fled the campus while others sought shelter inside classrooms and school offices. The sound of police patrol vehicles arriving at the school followed the reports of successive gunshots.
Initial accounts from the scene described scenes of panic as students attempted to escape the campus and find safe areas.
Authorities subsequently secured the school grounds and began processing the crime scene.
A firearm believed to have been used in the incident was recovered at the school and is expected to undergo forensic and ballistic examination as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events.
Authorities have yet to establish publicly the complete motive behind the shooting.
Red Cross, DSWD Deploy Psychosocial Support
The Philippine Red Cross immediately mobilized medical and welfare personnel following the incident.
The PRC South Cotabato Chapter dispatched an ambulance with a four-person team and deployed another four personnel as a welfare team to provide Psychosocial First Aid to affected individuals and families.
PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said the organization’s teams were on the ground to ensure that victims received immediate care, while PRC Secretary-General Dr. Gwendolyn Pang said updates would be released as verified information became available.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office XII also deployed personnel to provide psychological first aid and other assistance.
DSWD FO XII Regional Director Loreto Jr. V. Cabaya, in his capacity as chairperson of the Regional Committee for the Welfare of Children and the Regional Juvenile Justice and Welfare Committee, urged the public and media to refrain from reposting or resharing content related to the shooting.
The agency emphasized the importance of child-sensitive reporting and compliance with media guidelines for children while authorities conduct the investigation and affected children and families receive psychosocial support.
DepEd has likewise said its immediate priority is the safety and well-being of learners, teachers and school personnel and that psychological first aid and mental-health support are being made available.
Authorities Urge Public to Stop Spreading Unverified Reports
The Banga MDRRMO has appealed to the public to exercise restraint in sharing information about the shooting.
Officials warned that unverified casualty figures, videos, photographs and allegations can create additional panic, confusion and fear, particularly among families who may still be trying to determine the condition or whereabouts of their children.
The warning is particularly important in an incident involving minors.
The DSWD has separately called for child-sensitive reporting, while DepEd has urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information as the investigation continues.
A Community Left Grieving
The shooting has transformed an ordinary school day into a traumatic event for students, teachers, parents and the wider Banga community.
The victims were students who should have been inside their classrooms learning. Instead, several were rushed to hospitals while classmates ran for safety and families waited anxiously for news.
The investigation must now establish not only what happened inside the classroom but also how the firearm reached the campus, how the student was able to gain access to it, whether warning signs were missed, and whether any online activity played a role in the events.
Those questions must be answered through evidence and due process rather than speculation.
For now, the priority remains the recovery of the injured, support for traumatized students and families, and the protection of children from further exposure to distressing material surrounding the tragedy.
Classes in Banga were suspended following the incident, while authorities continued securing the school and investigating the shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing. Casualty figures, identities, firearm ownership, the alleged online-group connection and other details remain subject to official verification.