By Tuesday, regional police director Brigadier General Jason Capoy told Philippine broadcaster GMA News that based on their initial investigation, the suspects were only initially planning to intimidate specific targets, but after one shot was fired—it’s unclear if on purpose or by accident—the 14-year-old “could not be stopped.” The three casualties were not the intended targets of the attack, the police director said. Capoy also told the network that the suspects had been planning the incident since late April or early May.
Following the shooting, the city government suspended classes across all schools under its jurisdiction on Tuesday.
Police are still investigating the motives of the suspects behind the attack, but according to initial information gathered, one of the suspects claimed he had been a victim of school bullying.
Investigators are still verifying the suspect’s claim, but regional education officials immediately ordered schools to step up anti-bullying campaigns. One senator, Erwin Tulfo, said that the shooting demands more aggressive implementation of the country’s Anti-Bullying Act, a 2013 law mandating all public and private primary and secondary schools to adopt policies that address and prevent bullying.
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