Gunfire at a school in the Philippines leaves three dead and eight injured

At least three people have died, while eight others were injured in a shooting at a high school in Banga, in the province of South Cotabato, in the southern Philippines.

The attack took place on Friday afternoon at Banga National High School. Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said two of the victims were 14-year-old students. According to him, the 16-year-old suspected of carrying out the shooting was also among those who died.

Four of the injured are in critical condition. The mayor said the 16-year-old had told several friends during lunch that he would carry out a plan after the break, but they had not taken the warning seriously because they knew him as someone who often joked.

After lunch ended, the 16-year-old opened fire on the students and then killed himself, according to local authorities. Following the incident, classes were suspended at all levels in the municipality of Banga.

The Philippine Red Cross said it was notified of the incident at around 2:00 p.m. and sent an ambulance with four emergency medical responders to the scene. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances and motive behind the shooting.

This is the third deadly shooting at a school in the Philippines since June. In June, three students were killed at a school in the central Philippines, while in August a student shot a fellow student dead at a