A shooting at a school in the Philippines has left at least six people dead and several more injured. 

A gunman opened fire on the Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday afternoon before turning the gun on himself, according to local reports.

The incident follows two fatal gun incidents since June at schools in the Philippines, where school shootings were previously rare. 

At least 17 others were injured, four of whom are in critical condition, Banga town mayor Albert Palencia said, adding that all victims were students aged between 14 and 17. 

‘The suspect supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home ‘because after lunch, I will be executing my plan’. His friends laughed because the shooter was a known joker,’ Palencia told Reuters.

‘After lunch, he started shooting students. He hit 10 students before killing himself,’ Palencia added.

Local media had been reporting conflicting casualty figures, but the death toll was confirmed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which has deployed social workers to provide victims with psychological support. 

The Department of Education said in a statement it was ‘deeply concerned by the reported shooting incident.’

Image claims to show the suspected gunman dead on the ground

Emergency personnel walk at a site of a deadly shooting at a school in Banga, South Cotabato, Philippines, September 18, 2026

Pictured: Terrified children cry as they are reunited with their families following a shooting in the Philippines

‘Our immediate priority is the safety and well-being of our learners, teachers and school personnel,’ the statement said, adding it was coordinating with authorities to verify the incident and provide necessary support.

‘We urge everyone to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information as authorities continue their investigation,’ the department added. 

Footage on social media showed injured students being carried out of classrooms, while police footage showed the school’s floors covered in blood as officers evacuated the building. 

A separate video showed terrified children reuniting with their families.

Officials have not given details on the identity of the shooter, but one image published by local media purports to show the gunman lying dead on the ground. 

Authorities spoke to one of the shooter’s close friends, who claimed he was a member of an online group that focused on violence. 

‘The only initial information we found was that we spoke to the child’s best friend. It turned out that this child is a member of [an online group]. So our police are still investigating what this is and what is involved [in] this internet community,’ South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo told a local radio station. 

Lessons have been suspended while police remain at the scene as they investigate the shooting.  

It is the country’s third deadly school incident since June. 

Philippines has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region.

The gunman opened fire on the Banga National High School (pictured) in South Cotabato on Friday afternoon

In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Red Cross, Red Cross members provide assistance near Banga National High School in the town of Banga, Philippines

Last month, a student live-streamed himself shooting and killing another student in a classroom in Zamboanga in the country’s south 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 Friday shooting 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. 

Tamayo urged parents to ensure guns were kept out of reach of minors.

‘We need to be responsible in storing firearms. Gun owners, in particular, must make sure that minors do not have access to them,’ Tamayo told Reuters by phone.

‘We cannot expect a handful of security personnel to monitor thousands of students. We need to work together because otherwise this will be very difficult for us to address.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.