MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) has committed to providing psychological first aid to students and staff affected by a shooting incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University on Tuesday.

Two students died in the incident, which occurred at the school's Junior High School campus in Barangay Lunzuran, Zamboanga City. Authorities identified those involved as including a Grade 9 student classified as a child in conflict with the law (CICL).

DepEd said it is working with mental health partners to deliver psychosocial support to those affected by what it called a distressing incident. 

The agency also pledged additional assistance to affected families, learners, and school personnel as needed, and asked the public to avoid circulating unverified reports or sensitive images and videos related to the shooting.

Ateneo de Zamboanga, for its part, said it had coordinated with parents and guardians on picking up their children and was working to ensure the safety of students who remained on campus at the time. 

The university appealed to the public to respect the privacy of those involved and said a fuller account of the incident would be released once available. It added that official communication channels have been set up to relay updates to the public.

Classes at the university have been suspended until Wednesday. The campus had already canceled in-person classes on Monday due to the high heat index.

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