Tacloban High School on High Alert After Shooting Threat

TACLOBAN CITY — An online threat to carry out a shooting at Leyte National High School (LNHS) prompted heightened security measures and caused alarm among students and parents on Tuesday, although authorities said there was no need to suspend in-person classes. The threat came less than a month after a shooting at San Jose National High School in the city on June 22 that left three students dead and 20 others injured. The attack was allegedly carried out by two students, aged 14 and 15, who are now under the custody of a Department of Social Welfare and Development-run rehabilitation facility. READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban The 15-year-old suspect has been charged with three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries. At LNHS, the largest secondary school in Eastern Visayas with more than 8,100 students, police officers—including members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team—were deployed inside and outside the campus following the threat. School principal Bayani Adona said he received information about the threat at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday from the school’s disaster risk reduction and management officer. The online message, reportedly sent by an individual identified as “Rex Jhon,” allegedly threatened to carry out a shooting inside the school and claimed that his younger sibling was being bullied. The sender also allegedly claimed to have four accomplices. The message further alleged that a former teacher at LNHS had given the sender a failing grade when he was still a student at the school. Adona said the threat was immediately reported to the police, while the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) was tasked with helping identify the person or persons behind the online message. “There was no suspension of classes, but we allowed students to go home if they were accompanied by their parents,” Adona said in an interview. READ: Leyte student held for online school attack threat Several parents and guardians gathered outside the school gates to fetch their children amid the heightened security. One grandfather, who asked not to be identified, said he immediately went to the school to fetch his two granddaughters after learning about the threat. Adona said the school was taking the threat seriously, emphasizing that the safety of students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel remained its top priority. The school administration is also planning to install additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras across the campus as part of its enhanced security measures. Following the San Jose National High School shooting, LNHS had already tightened its security protocols, including the use of walk-through and handheld metal detectors and stricter inspections of bags brought onto the campus. Metal objects and other sharp items are also prohibited on school premises. In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Tacloban City confirmed that it received information about the alleged online shooting threat at around 11 p.m. on July 20. It said Adona immediately reported the matter to the Philippine National Police, while the incident was also referred to the RACU for investigation and the identification of those responsible. The DepEd division said it decided not to suspend in-person classes after coordinating with law enforcement authorities and receiving a security assessment indicating that sufficient measures had been put in place to protect the school community. The DepEd division appealed to the public to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary panic. It also urged students, parents, and the public to immediately report suspicious activities, threatening messages, and other security concerns to school authorities or law enforcement agencies. “The safety, security, and well-being of our school community remain our highest priority,” the Schools Division said./coa