MANILA, Sept 18 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and six others injured in a school shooting in the southern Philippines' South Cotabato Province on Friday, said Reynaldo Tamayo Jr, the province's governor, reported Xinhua.
However, the Department of Social Welfare and Development earlier reported six deaths and 17 injuries in the shooting, before retracting the statement. Tamayo said he was still awaiting the police's progress report, which he will share with the public once available.
According to the initial investigation, the suspect, 16, is believed to be one of the fatalities, who turned the gun on himself. The incident happened at 1.18 pm at a high school in the municipality of Banga, South Cotabato.
A local official said the suspect had allegedly taken the firearm from a safe at his home and supposedly sat beside his friends and told them to go home "because after lunch, I will be executing my plan". No motive has been immediately established, according to local media reports.
The injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment, while police have secured the scene and launched an investigation. All classes in the municipality were immediately suspended at all levels.
Friday's incident is the country's third fatal school shooting since June. The two previous campus shootings in Tacloban City on June 22 and Zamboanga City on Aug 18 left multiple fatalities and drew widespread public concern.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA