Suspect in Nueva Ecija school shooting dies

The 18-year-old man who shot his 15-year-old ex-girlfriend inside the Sta. Rosa Integrated School in Nueva Ecija on August 7, 2025, has passed away.

He died more than 24 hours after the shooting.

After the incident, he and the victim were taken first to the Doctors Hospital in Cabanatuan City but the suspect was transferred to the Paulino Garcia Memorial Medical Center and placed on life support.

His family later decided to take him home, where he died, eventually.

According to Santa Rosa police, the suspect entered the school around 10 a.m. on August 7, 2025 and tried to get the victim out of her classroom. When she refused, he went inside and shot her before turning the gun on himself.

“According sa guard, noong una pinigil niya, napigilan naman, then hinintay niya maglabasan ang mga estudyante. Sinabayan niya, di na na-notice ng guard na naka-post doon,” P/Maj. Willard Lumawig Dulnuan, Chief of Police of Sta. Rosa, said.

The school watchmen said they check whether those who enter the campus are students or employees of the school but do not conduct body searches.

“Watchmen lang kami, kung licensed na guwardiya kami, baka puwede kami magkapkap…,” Leo, a school watchman, said.

Authorities recovered a .22-caliber snub-nose revolver from the crime scene.

The Department of Education (DepEd) in Nueva Ecija condemned the shooting, calling it unacceptable and stressing that violence has no place in schools.

The Sta. Rosa Integrated School is closed temporarily.

Family members of both the victim and the suspect, as well as the hospital staff, declined to comment.

Students who witnessed the incident are receiving help for trauma. The police have also coordinated with DepEd for stress debriefing for both students and teachers. —GMA Regional TV