Angara: Initial accounts suggest teacher as target in AdZU shooting

The Grade 8 suspect in Tuesday’s shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Junior High School might have been after a teacher, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara shared on Wednesday, August 19, amid investigators’ probe into the incident.

In his visit to Zamboanga City on Wednesday morning, Angara said investigators are looking into this possibility, noting that the suspect, who was previously identified as a Grade 9 student in an earlier police report, entered two classrooms but only opened fire in the second.

Angara stressed, however, that the initial accounts do not yet fully confirm “who the real target was,” and advised the public not to make any “conclusive remarks” while evidence remains unclear.

The education secretary flew to Zamboanga to meet with AdZU President Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal, SJ, local government officials, and Zamboanga City police for a case conference on the shooting incident.

“This remains mysterious to us—what triggered the incident is still unknown,” Angara said, dismissing speculations that the Grade 8 suspect was bullied or depressed, and saying he had a large extended family.

Authorities are also looking into the possibility of the shooting incident being a case of online grooming, a deceitful act of making online connections with minors to exploit them.

“We cannot rule out the role of online groomers. Sometimes they poison the minds of our youth. These nihilistic violent groups exploit disenchanted youth, pushing them further into anger,” Angara added.