Trauma counseling prioritized after deadly Tacloban school shooting

TACLOBAN CITY — Psychological debriefing and counseling sessions will be immediately provided to students, teachers, and school personnel of San Jose National High School following a deadly shooting incident that left three students dead and five others injured on Monday morning, education officials said.

READ: 3 dead, 5 wounded in shooting inside school in Tacloban City

Nilo Eder, spokesperson for the Tacloban Schools Division, said addressing the trauma experienced by those affected is among the division’s top priorities as classes at the school have been suspended indefinitely.

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“One of the first things that we will do is conduct psychological debriefing among students and teachers,” Eder said. “They have experienced trauma due to this incident. You could just imagine what they experienced, especially our learners.”

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The suspension of classes will also allow authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into what is believed to be the deadliest school-related shooting incident reported in Eastern Visayas, if not in the country.

The shooting occurred at around 9 a.m., a little over an hour after classes began at the school, which has more than 1,600 students and over 110 teachers.

Eder confirmed that the two alleged perpetrators were students of the school. Authorities have withheld further details about the suspects because they are minors.

READ: Both suspects in Tacloban City school shooting arrested — police

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The school division has also coordinated with the victims’ families to ensure they receive the necessary assistance and support.

“We have also coordinated with the parents of the victims so they can be provided with all the needed assistance,” Eder said.

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In addition, education officials are conducting background profiling of the two minor suspects to help determine the circumstances that led to the attack.

Police reported that three people were killed and five others wounded in the shooting. One of the two alleged suspects is now in police custody, while authorities have yet to disclose the status of the second suspect.

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Investigators are continuing to gather witness accounts, review evidence, and coordinate with school officials to establish the sequence of events and the motive behind the attack./coa