Teen Gunman Kills 2 Students in School Rampage After Being ‘Influenced’ by the Dark Web

A teenage student opened fire inside a high school in the southern Philippines, killing two classmates and wounding several others before fatally shooting himself in a horrifying attack authorities say may have been planned in advance.

The shooting erupted shortly after 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Banga National High School in Banga, South Cotabato, on the island of Mindanao.

Two 14-year-old students — a boy and a girl — were killed, according to provincial officials. The teenage gunman also died at the scene. Authorities said as many as eight other students were wounded, although some local reports have given a lower total of six. (AP News)

Investigators are now piecing together what happened in the hours and months before the attack, including how the teenager obtained his father’s handgun and whether disturbing online activity played a role.

According to Banga Mayor Albert Palencia, the teen allegedly gave his friends an eerie warning before lunchtime.

He reportedly told them they should go home because he planned to do something later that could put them in danger. His friends apparently believed he was joking because he had a reputation for making jokes, according to the Associated Press. (AP News)

After lunch, authorities said the student left his own classroom and entered a neighboring Grade 9 classroom, where he began firing.

Palencia said 10 students were struck. The gunman then reloaded his 9-mm handgun before shooting himself. (AP News)

The gun has since become a major focus of the investigation.

Philippine officials said the weapon belonged to the shooter’s father, an employee of the Department of Education. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the father owned three licensed firearms but that they had not been secured well enough to prevent the teenager from gaining access.

The Philippine News Agency reported that the boy’s mother told the mayor her son had broken into the vault where the Glock 9-mm pistol was stored. (Philippine News Agency)

Officials are also examining the teenager’s cellphone, internet history and online communities.

Remulla said investigators discovered notes on the phone discussing depression and claimed the teenager had been heavily involved in what he described as the “deep dark web.”

“He was into deep dark web which influenced him,” Remulla told reporters Saturday.

That claim, however, remains part of the investigation rather than an established explanation for the shooting.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said authorities still need help from the Department of Information and Communications Technology and other agencies to determine exactly what the teenager was viewing online and whether an online “true crime community” had any connection to the attack. (GMA Network)

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo similarly urged caution, saying police were looking into reports that the student belonged to an online community but that investigators should not jump to conclusions before the evidence is reviewed. (Philippine News Agency)

Authorities have not publicly identified a specific dark-web website or established that online material directly caused the attack.

Officials said the teenager’s family had apparently been concerned about his behavior months earlier. Remulla said his parents noticed problems as far back as April and had tried to address them. The AP also reported that the teenager’s mother had wanted to take him to a psychiatrist. (GMA Network)

There is also conflicting public reporting about the gunman’s exact age. The Philippine News Agency, citing Palencia and the teenager’s mother, described him as 14, while the Associated Press quoted Palencia as saying he was 16. Officials have not publicly clarified the discrepancy. (Philippine News Agency)

The shooting has triggered a wider debate over school security in the Philippines.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered authorities to investigate not only the attack but also how the teenager was able to obtain a firearm and bring it onto campus.

Marcos said it was the country’s third deadly school shooting in roughly three months, following earlier attacks in Tacloban and Zamboanga. He ordered the Department of Education, Interior Department and Philippine National Police to review what security measures were put in place following those earlier incidents. (Philstar)

Education officials are already considering additional security measures, including more metal detectors and additional counseling resources.

Angara acknowledged Saturday that schools were not adequately prepared for shootings and said the government planned to strengthen campus protections. (GMA Network)

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has also begun providing financial and psychological assistance to victims and their families. The Philippine News Agency reported that wounded students were slated to receive 10,000 Philippine pesos in assistance, while families of those killed were also expected to receive government aid. (Philippine News Agency)

Investigators have not announced a single confirmed motive.

For now, police are examining the teen’s phone, online activity, writings and access to his father’s gun as officials try to determine how warning signs escalated into one of the deadliest school attacks the Philippines has seen this year. (GMA Network)

I’d favor the first headline because it keeps the disturbing “dark web” hook without presenting the government’s still-unproven theory as fact.