QCPD: Social media claims on alleged Payatas school shooting are false

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said reports circulating online claiming an alleged case of shooting inside a school in Barangay Bagong Silangan on Thursday were false.

In a statement, the QCPD explained that Bagong Silangan Police Station personnel had been meeting with the school administration “when they heard a loud commotion from the second floor of the school building.”

READ: PNP: Alleged Batangas school shooting threat came from ‘bullied’ student

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“The students heard a loud banging sound coming from a nearby construction site, which was mistakenly perceived as a gunshot. Police verification confirmed that the sound came from ongoing construction activities in the area and that no shooting incident occurred,” the police explained.

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“The situation has since been declared safe and under control, and normal school activities have resumed. No injuries or untoward incidents were reported,” it further maintained.

The QCPD urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information online.

In its own statement, the Bagong Silangan High School explained that the claims originated from “alarming messages circulating on [Facebook] Messenger.”

“Recognizing that the spread of misinformation may have caused emotional distress, the school is extending appropriate psychosocial support and guidance interventions to students who were affected by the incident,” the school noted.

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“We continue to work closely with law enforcement authorities to identify the source of this malicious disinformation and to ensure that appropriate legal action is taken against those responsible,” it added.

The speculation over the purported shooting incident came weeks after a fatal shooting incident at a Tacloban City school in which two minor suspects allegedly opened fire inside their campus, killing three students and injuring 20 more. /jpv

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