Authorities are investigating the gaming and messaging history of the student involved in the Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
They want to find out if information from these two can help explain why the incident happened, said Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras.”
"We are checking his complete gaming history, his chat history, so we cannot come up with a complete answer on what…the complete forensic analysis on why this happened," Remulla said.
Two people were killed in the attack – a Grade 10 student and the shooter.
Investigators are also investigating how the Grade 8 shooter managed to sneak the guns into campus.
Based on investigation, the shooter brought two guns – a standard pistol and the other fitted with a conversion that gave it the appearance of an assault rifle.
Investigators also recovered the shooter’s bag where an ammunition magazine was found. They believe it was where the shooter hid the firearms.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) relieved a port police official who owned one of the guns used in the shooting. He is said to be the father of the shooter.
"We'll review all the CCTV footage and the statements so that we can present what happened in this incident," said Police Lt. Col. Paul Andrew Cortez, the deputy director for operations in Zamboanga City.
NEXT STEPS
In a statement, Remulla expressed sadness over the incident.
“Once again, it involves students. Once again, it involves firearms. Once again, it has cost lives. If we must quarrel as a country about many things, let us not quarrel about this: the safety of our children is paramount to us all,” Remulla said.
Remulla raised concerns about the possible influence of violent video games on young people.
“The shooter, however young and troubled he may have been, is himself a victim of what I believe are video games inhabited by actors who induce terror, influencing young and fallible minds,” Remulla said.
“The students, security guards, and others who were injured have no sin except being at the wrong place at the wrong time,” he added.
The DILG chief also emphasized the importance of responsible gun ownership and proper firearm storage to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands.
“We should also protect ourselves. Gun ownership is a privilege accorded to those who need to protect themselves. But that privilege carries with it not only the responsibility of ownership, but the responsibility of safekeeping. One cannot exist without the other,” Remulla said.
Remulla said authorities are set to pursue necessary reforms to strengthen public safety.
He also stressed that difficult decisions may be needed to prevent similar incidents and protect the public.
“We will take the necessary steps to ensure that this kind of tragedy can be prevented. If that hurts the sensibilities of a few, or of the many, then let your voices be heard. We will make the hard choices in order to protect the Filipino people,” he said.
CICC MONITORING
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is monitoring closely social media activities linked to the shooting at the junior high school campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) in Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
In a statement, CICC said it is monitoring online posts and videos related to the incident, including footage showing the shooting inside the school.
The agency added that it is coordinating with Meta to facilitate the takedown of such content to prevent the continued spread of videos that could cause panic or be used to influence others.
CICC also urged netizens not to repost videos related to the incident, saying this could give violent content additional reach and attention.
Meanwhile, parents are reminded to monitor their children’s activities on social media and gaming platforms, particularly minors, and to maintain open communication about the content they view and consume online.
CICC said it will continue coordinating with concerned government agencies and stakeholders to monitor online activities related to the incident and undertake appropriate measures.
Meanwhile, ADZU President Fr. Ernald Andal, SJ has asked for patience as authorities continue to investigate the shooting that left two people dead.
In a video message evening on Wednesday, Andal said the university is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies and proper authorities.
“We know that there are many questions that all of us understandably want answered. We ask for your patience as the facts are carefully established. But this time, we don’t want to preempt the results of the investigation. We must allow verified facts to guide us and avoid speculation that may cause further pain to the families and to our community,” Andal said.
Andal added that the university will continue to provide pastoral, psychological and other necessary support to those affected.
