Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787110300282178710427667120260818-school-shooting-ateneo-zamboanga-QC (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A child holding his head in pain<em>. 📷༘ Mohamad Azaam, Unsplash</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A psychiatrist warned of a possible copycat effect following the Zamboanga school shooting, saying authorities and families should look beyond video games and mental health conditions and examine warning signs that may have preceded the attack.</p><p>Dr. Randy Dellosa said the incident was particularly alarming because it was the second fatal school shooting in the Philippines in less than two months, following the June shooting in Tacloban City. </p><p>“It’s bad enough that this is the second shooting in two months, but it makes it more alarming that there are added elements,” Dallosa told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><p>The psychiatrist said the incident could raise anxiety among students, teachers and parents, particularly because the alleged shooter was reportedly an honor student and the attack happened in a religious school.</p><p>“This is quite very alarming and it will really raise the anxiety level of everyone,” he said.</p><p>Dallosa said one possible warning sign is “leakage of intention,” when a potential perpetrator tells someone about plans to commit violence, whether in person or online.</p><p>“Most likely the shooter leaked out information of his intention. So he must have told someone,” he said.</p><p>That information, he added, could have been shared with a classmate or posted online but may not have been recognized as a warning sign.</p><p>Dallosa also identified acute grievance, weapon access, fascination with past shootings, and possible grooming or influence from an online community as factors that investigators should examine.</p><p>“These are factors that need to be considered, because we don’t want to be simplistic in attributing causes,” he said.</p><p>He cautioned against immediately blaming gaming after reports that the student played Counter-Strike.</p><p>“There are many Counter-Strike players, Roblox players, but they don’t necessarily become shooters,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WEAPON ACCESS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>For Dallosa, access to firearms is among the more important factors that need to be examined following the shooting.</p><p>Initial investigation reported that the two firearms were taken from the vehicle of the suspect&#x27;s father. One was a service firearm owned by the BOC and entrusted to his father, chief of the Bureau of Customs Police in Zamboanga, while the other was a personally owned firearm.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/ateneo-school-shooter-took-2-guns-from-customs-exec-father-s-car-boc-chief-1016">Zamboanga school shooter took 2 guns from Customs exec father’s car–BOC chief</a></div><p>Dallosa said parents should therefore treat firearm security with the highest level of caution.</p><p>“Keep your weapons… as if you have an adolescent who is determined to get it. Never assume that it’s safe,” he said.</p><p>He also urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities while avoiding an overly intrusive approach.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>COPYCAT ATTACKS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Dallosa also raised concern over the continued circulation of footage of the Zamboanga shooting on social media.</p><p>He said repeated exposure to the perpetrator and the attack could potentially embolden other individuals who may already have violent intentions.</p><p>“The livestream is getting reposted, posted and posted and posted,” he said. “What does this do? It emboldens other potential shooters to do the same thing.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/pnp-orders-takedown-of-school-shooting-videos-probes-how-minor-got-2-guns-inside-school-1019">PNP orders takedown of school shooting videos, probes how minor got 2 guns inside school</a></div><p>He said the perpetrator could potentially be perceived as a “hero” by vulnerable individuals because of the publicity surrounding the attack.</p><p>Dallosa said the risk of copycat suicides can peak within weeks following an incident, making the period after the shooting particularly important for monitoring.</p><p>He also urged media organizations to minimize attention given to the perpetrator and avoid providing excessive details about how the attack was carried out.</p><p>“One thing is that the less people talk about the perpetrator, the better,” he said.</p><p>He also warned against extensively discussing the method and process of the attack, saying potential perpetrators could study details of previous incidents.</p><p>Instead, he said coverage should emphasize the victims and the impact of the violence on the school community.</p><p>“This is not just an ordinary, regular crime that we keep on hearing. There were victims,” Dallosa said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/18/shooting-incident-reported-inside-zamboanga-city-school-0934">Two dead in Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjA9LzQM2Gw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7QmV-bZfb4o?&amp;source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A psychiatrist warned of a possible copycat effect following the Zamboanga school shooting, saying authorities and families should look beyond video games and mental health conditions and examine warning signs that may have preceded the attack.</p>

A psychiatrist warned of a possible copycat effect following the Zamboanga school shooting, saying authorities and families should look beyond video games and mental health conditions and examine warning signs that may have preceded the attack.

School shooting: Psychiatrist warns of copycat risk, lists possible 'warning signs'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Health & Science

School shooting: Psychiatrist warns of copycat risk, lists possible 'warning signs'

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 19, 2026 11:55 AM PHT

|

Updated August 19, 2026 02:08 PM PHT

Read More:

Ateneo De Zamboanga University

Ateneo

School shooting

Crime

Violence

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription. If you don’t see it, please check your spam or junk folder.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.