Philippine authorities have imposed an emergency nationwide ban on the violent video game GoreBox following a deadly school shooting in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026, that left three students dead and 20 others injured. The temporary prohibition came after investigators discovered the 14-year-old suspect had developed a deep obsession with the graphic sandbox game.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center enacted the ban as a precautionary measure during the ongoing investigation, according to Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso. The agency has partnered with the Council for the Welfare of Children and the Threat Monitoring Center to monitor similar platforms. Paraiso also urged lawmakers to draft stringent child online protection laws with enforceable age restrictions.
Two teenage suspects — ages 14 and 15 — opened fire inside San Jose National High School, a government-run campus serving more than 1,500 students, on June 22, 2026. Regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy confirmed both attackers were classmates of their victims and had no prior criminal records. Police investigations revealed the younger suspect’s obsession with GoreBox, which features graphic violence, dismemberment, and gore.
Attack Was Planned Months in Advance
The mid-morning assault was premeditated, with Capoy disclosing on June 23 that the pair had been planning the shooting since as early as April or May. “Based on our information, as early as May 1, if I’m not mistaken,” Capoy told reporters. The suspects, who were close friends, said in initial questioning that they were bullied in school, though he declined to elaborate on those claims.
The gunmen forced their way into two separate classrooms, pursuing fleeing students who had scattered after the initial gunfire. Police recovered at least 40 shell casings across the scene. Most of the dead and wounded were female students.
One student remained in critical condition after sustaining severe injuries during the attack.
“His condition is under strict observation, but we were told he is fighting for his life,” Tacloban police spokeswoman Evalyn Diaz told Agence France-Presse.
Security Failures Allowed Weapons Inside
The suspects smuggled a 9 mm pistol and a .38 caliber revolver onto campus through a significant security gap. Capoy said only a single guard was stationed across multiple entrances and exits, making it relatively easy for the students to slip through undetected. One weapon came from an aunt who works as a police officer — she has since been relieved of duty, placed under restrictive custody, and faces criminal and administrative charges for failing to secure her service weapon.
One suspect was apprehended on school grounds shortly after the shooting. The other fled the campus and took refuge in a nearby residence, where he was tracked down after residents alerted authorities to his location.
Footage that circulated online captured the chaos from inside one locked classroom, where students crouched beneath desks, sobbing and screaming as gunshots rang out nearby. Some could be heard calling their mothers. Additional video showed waves of visibly shaken students pouring out of the campus gates, many clinging to one another as they ran.
Age Complicates Criminal Prosecution
Under a 2006 Philippine law, the minimum age for criminal liability is 15, which means the 14-year-old cannot face criminal prosecution regardless of the circumstances. The 15-year-old may be held criminally liable, but only if authorities can demonstrate the suspect was clearly aware of the crime and understood its consequences at the time it was committed. Both suspects have since been transferred to the custody of the Tacloban City Social Welfare and Development Office in accordance with the country’s juvenile justice law.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a comprehensive investigation into the shooting and directed law enforcement agencies to strengthen security measures at schools, workplaces, and other public spaces across the country. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the president was deeply affected by the news, adding that “anybody, especially the parents of the victims, will feel sad and terrified.” The national police also urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with ongoing investigations.
School Shootings Remain Uncommon in Philippines
While gun violence tied to unlicensed firearms remains a persistent problem in the Philippines, deadly school shootings are comparatively uncommon. The last major incident drew national attention in 2022, when a gunman opened fire at an upscale Manila-area university ahead of a graduation ceremony, killing a former Philippine city mayor and two other people.
The June 22 attack in Tacloban City has reignited urgent questions about campus security, the accessibility of firearms, and how schools identify and respond to students experiencing bullying before violence erupts. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether any formal complaints about bullying were ever filed at San Jose National High School before the shooting took place.