Ateneo de Zamboanga shooter acted alone - SILG Remulla

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday said the 14-year old student who carried out the deadly shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University “acted alone.”

“Alone in the sense that he planned, executed, and willfully did everything on his own,” Remulla said during a press conference.

“There was no conspiracy behind it. There was no active group that planned it with him. There was no family influence that made him do the unthinkable,” he added.

According to Remulla, authorities checked the student's social media accounts but found no conversations or communications indicating that other people or parties were involved.

There was also no apparent indication that the shooting was motivated by religion, cultural differences, or a conflict within the school.

“This is a case of misguidance. This is a case of undue influence by certain things on the internet. This is a case of desensitization of violence and children because of the games they play on the internet,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, Remulla said Ateneo de Zamboanga's security protocols were at par with industry standards and that school personnel had followed existing procedures.

The shooter allegedly entered the campus through an emergency exit.

According to Remulla, classes had already started at around 7:30 a.m. when the shooter entered at about 7:50 a.m. and used the emergency exit while carrying firearms. During this time, security guards were stationed at the gates.

Two students, including the shooter, were killed while at least six others were injured in the shooting incident on Tuesday morning.

The shooting involved a Grade 8 student of the same school who allegedly opened fire inside the campus.

A Grade 10 student was killed inside a classroom, while the suspect later went to the fifth floor of the school building where he reportedly shot himself.

The guns used in the shooting incident were linked to a member of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), who is the father of the shooter. —RF, GMA News