PNP: 3 killed in South Cotabato school shooting

September 18, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

The Philippine National Police said three people were killed and several others wounded during a shooting incident at the Banga National High School on Friday afternoon.

The PNP said the incident is under investigation and police personnel have secured the area.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., in a video message, said the three students killed included the gunman.

Tamayo said two male students and a female student were killed.

He also said six were injured.

According to him, initial information indicated that the gunman had been warning his friends that he would carry out a school shooting since August.

He said the text messages from the gunman were “alarming.”

He quoted a friend of the shooter as saying that they had used a social platform called “True Crime Community” where alleged indoctrination took place and where they were allegedly given tasks to carry out a school shooting or community shooting.

Tamayo called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology to take down such platforms.