DepEd urges public, media to stop sharing Zamboanga school shooting videos, photos

The Department of Education (DepEd) issued an appeal on Tuesday calling on the public, members of the media, and content creators to refrain from sharing and posting sensitive material connected to the shooting incident at a private school in Zamboanga City.

“Choose compassion over clicks,” the school said in a statement.

“At this difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the privacy and dignity of the affected families, learners, school personnel, and the entire Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) community,” it added.

The shooting incident occurred at the Junior High School campus of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University on early Tuesday morning.

“The circulation of such material may further compound the trauma of those directly affected and cause additional distress to their loved ones,” it added.

Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso earlier said that two students died, one of them the alleged shooter, following the incident.

Though other officials have confirmed the death toll, they have yet to confirm whether one of the victims was the alleged perpetrator.

Meanwhile, DepEd also urged the public to allow law enforcement authorities to conduct their investigation and to rely only on verified information from official sources.

For his part, Education Secretary Sonny Angara echoed the appeal.

He also extended his sympathies to the families affected by the incident, saying he was “deeply saddened.”

“As a father, my heart goes out to the parents who are grieving today. My sympathies are likewise with all the families affected by this tragedy, as well as the teachers, learners, and school personnel who experienced this terrible incident,” he said.

Angara said the DepEd has directed Regional Office IX to provide psychosocial support available to affected individuals. — BAP, GMA News