The shooting, which occurred on Monday at San Jose National High School in Leyte province, is among the deadliest school attacks in recent Philippine history and has prompted heightened scrutiny of youth violence, firearm access and online content.

National police spokesman Allen Rae Co said preliminary findings indicated the attack had been premeditated. Investigators found that the two suspects, aged 15 and 14, had remained together in a school restroom for more than an hour before the shooting began.

“All indications point to the fact that it was planned,” Co told reporters during a briefing.

Authorities said the suspects are in custody. The attack left three students dead and 15 others hospitalized with gunshot wounds. One victim remained in critical condition on Tuesday, according to local police.

“His condition is under strict observation, but we were told he is fighting for his life,” Tacloban police spokeswoman Evalyn Diaz said.

Police said investigators are examining claims that the suspects had experienced bullying at school, while also reviewing evidence suggesting exposure to violent online material may have contributed to the attack.

Diaz said witness accounts and early investigative findings appeared consistent with reports that bullying had been a motivating factor. However, Co said authorities had also identified indications that online communities or digital content may have influenced one of the suspects.

“Based on our initial investigation, the 14-year-old was heavily influenced by online content,” Co said, adding that investigators were examining the possible role of an unidentified online group.

Authorities disclosed that the younger suspect allegedly used a Glock 9mm pistol belonging to his aunt, a police officer who has since been suspended and taken into custody pending investigation. Police said the teenager had previously visited a firing range and possessed basic familiarity with handling firearms.

Regional police director Jason Capoy said the second weapon, a .38-caliber revolver, was registered to a security agency where the grandfather of the older suspect had previously worked.

Witnesses told investigators that the gunmen moved through a school corridor and fired through classroom windows as students sought shelter. Police said the attackers appeared to have coordinated their movements during the assault.

Capoy also said investigators discovered that the younger suspect frequently played GoreBox, a violent first-person shooter video game. Shortly after police disclosed that information, the Philippines’ cybercrime authorities announced a temporary ban on the game while an investigation is conducted.

The shooting has sent shockwaves through Tacloban, where local authorities canceled classes citywide. Philippine Education Secretary Sonny Angara visited injured students and teachers on Tuesday and said many remained deeply traumatized by the events.

“When it was the principal’s turn to share, she collapsed,” Angara told reporters. “That’s what we call trauma, which is very real.”

Teachers interviewed by police described the two suspects as ordinary students with no known record of serious disciplinary problems, according to investigators.

School shootings remain uncommon in the Philippines, where strict gun regulations and cultural factors have historically limited such incidents. Earlier this month, however, seven students were wounded in a separate knife attack at a school in Cavite province, raising concerns about campus security and youth violence.

The victims, aged between 15 and 18, died after flames broke out in their dormitory late on May 28, trapping students inside, according to the Red Cross. A total of 132 pupils were injured in the blaze.Nine students from the academy, which primarily serves children of police officers, remain in custody as investigations continue, authorities said.

At a memorial service held at Gilgil Stadium, about 120 kilometers north of Nairobi, religious leaders urged attendees to focus on mourning rather than the wider issues surrounding the unrest.“We have come for prayers, not politics,” a priest said during the ceremony attended by families and community members.

The fire has become part of a wider crisis involving school disturbances across Kenya. The country has recorded 47 school fires this year as pupils protest issues including exam pressure, alleged corruption and conditions in boarding schools, which are widely used in the education system.

Several schools have sent students home following additional fires, with experts pointing to possible copycat incidents and long-running frustrations linked to the pressures faced by students.Police said the bodies of the victims were found on the upper floor of the two-storey dormitory.

A student identified as Rosie, 15, said she woke up to smoke and flames and attempted to escape through a locked door before jumping from the first floor, suffering a leg injury.“I was very scared,” she said, adding that she was thinking about classmates who remained inside as she escaped.

Students and families have raised concerns over dormitory safety, including reports that pupils were locked inside rooms at night despite fire safety requirements.

During the memorial, Rosie spoke of her close friend Abigail, who died in the blaze.“She was a dancer, we would always chat together,” Rosie said, describing the loss as deeply painful.Relatives mourned as the coffins arrived during the service, with several parents collapsing under the weight of the tragedy.

Liz Munyaga, 46, whose 17-year-old niece Gertrude died, said schools should provide protection for children.“A school is supposed to be the safest place for children,” she said.