MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have prevented another potential mass shooting in Leyte following a warning relayed by Sen. Bam Aquino, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.
In a press conference on Thursday, June 25, Remulla said Aquino informed him of the alleged threat after receiving a warning.
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“At 8 o’clock last night, Senator Bam Aquino called me up and gave me a tip that there was chatter in Tacloban that there was an impending mass shooting that was about to occur,” Remulla said.
The minor is a 14-year-old Grade 10 student at Tolosa National High School.
“Investigation revealed that she created multiple Facebook accounts to disseminate this content, which spread across social media, alarming students, parents and the public,” Remulla said.
The Facebook post containing the threat, according to Remulla, read:
“Hello, send this to your friends. Yo, from Tolosa, prepare yourselves, especially you as you owe me. Get ready. I will disrupt the school. You won’t know me, but you will recognize me. There’s no time, no day. Be prepared for whoever gets shot or stabbed. We don’t care, good luck to you at Tolosa Leyte National High School.”
The child was already in custody by 11 p.m. on June 24, according to Remulla.
When asked about the motive, citing the initial investigation, Remulla said it stemmed from the minor’s “personal and family issues.” Findings from the investigation also revealed that the minor and her family had no access to firearms.
“It is possible that she was influenced by the recent shooting in the San Jose National High School,” Remulla said.
According to Remulla, the minor also plays GoreBox, a game that the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center has temporarily banned after initial findings showed that the minors involved in the June 22 Tacloban school shooting had also been playing it before the attack.
Because the minor is below 15 years old, Remulla said she was not sent to jail but was instead turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The alleged planned attack came days after the June 22 school shooting in Tacloban involving 14- and 15-year-old suspects and the stabbing of Grade 10 students in San Carlos, Negros Occidental.