Ateneo de Zamboanga declares day of mourning after school shooting

Ateneo de Zamboanga University President Fr. Anthony “Ernald” Andal, SJ on Tuesday declared the observance of a day of mourning and prayer on August 19, Wednesday, following a shooting incident where two students died, including the shooter.

“We are so saddened by this incident that tomorrow, today, we are cancelling all classes at all levels at Ateneo de Zamboanga University,” Andal said in a briefing.

“And tomorrow, declaring that there would be a day of mourning and prayer for all of us. We are truly, truly saddened by what had happened,” he added.

Earlier, Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso said two were killed after a student was able to enter the university carrying a high-powered firearm and a .45 caliber pistol.

Olaso said that the shooter seemingly first targeted a teacher before heading to another room and shooting another student.

According to Andal, there are no more active shooters or recorded fatalities or injured individuals.

He assured that evacuated students are now being safely released to their parents or guardians.

Andal also said that the university is coordinating with authorities and would share more information once it is available.

“We do not want any of these things to happen. We wish to prioritize the safety of all our students. As soon as we found out what had happened this morning, all of us in coordination came over, making sure that our students from grade school and junior high school are safely evacuated,” he said.

In a social media post, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University said they have set official communication channels and will relay information to the public as soon as possible.

"We urge the public to refrain from sharing unverified info, photos, and videos as these will only bring further harm to those involved and may hinder the ongoing investigation of the incident. In the meantime, we ask everyone to respect the privacy of all affected individuals," it added.

Meanwhile, Zamboanga City Police Office spokesperson Andrew Cortes said they will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.—AOL, GMA News