Police cite firearm safekeeping and school security lapses after two students killed
Photo: City Government of Zamboanga
ZAMBOANGA CITY (August 28) — The search for accountability in the Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting has moved from investigation to prosecution, with police filing criminal complaints against the owner of the firearm used in the attack and a school security guard over lapses that investigators said contributed to the deaths of two students.
The complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and physical injuries were filed Wednesday against Bureau of Customs official Lt. Lars Jalani II and a security guard following the completion of the police investigation into the Aug. 18 shooting at the university’s high school department.
The Special Investigation Task Group formed by the Police Regional Office 9 said its findings identified gaps in the safekeeping of firearms and deficiencies in school security screening in the tragedy in Barangay Tumaga.
Two students were killed and another was wounded in the incident. The suspected shooter, identified as Jalani’s son, later died by suicide using a 9mm pistol.
Police said the investigation found that the firearms were accessible to a minor because of lapses in their safekeeping.
At the school, investigators also found shortcomings in entrance security that allowed the circumstances leading to the shooting to unfold.
The findings put the spotlight on two responsibilities that are often treated as routine but can become matters of life and death: keeping firearms out of the reach of children and ensuring that school security measures actually work.
Jalani, who served as district commander of the Bureau of Customs’ Enforcement and Security Service at the Port of Zamboanga, was relieved from his post following the incident.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno had previously described Jalani as a key customs official in Zamboanga who led operations against smuggled fuel, cigarettes and agricultural products.
The investigation team examined CCTV recordings, forensic evidence and witness accounts as it reconstructed what happened inside the school.
It found no evidence of a conspiracy and established no school-related or personal grievance that could explain the attack.
Investigators did, however, point to indications of prior preparation and exposure to violent online material.
Police Regional Office 9 director BGen. Dennis Esguerra said investigators resisted speculation and relied on evidence in determining accountability.
“We owe it to the families and to the school community to get the facts right,” Esguerra said. “Hindi pwedeng puro assumptions. We follow the evidence, respect due process, and let the proper legal process determine accountability.”
For the families of the victims, the filing of complaints marks another step in a painful search for answers.
But the case also raises questions extending beyond the individuals facing complaints.
How did a minor gain access to a firearm? Why did existing safeguards fail? And could stronger screening have prevented a weapon from entering a school?
The police findings now give schools, gun owners and authorities a clear warning.
A firearm kept at home is still a potential threat when it is not securely stored. A school security protocol is only as effective as its enforcement.
Authorities urged gun owners to strengthen firearm safekeeping, while schools were told to reassess their entrance screening and security procedures.
The public was also encouraged to pay closer attention to warning signs associated with young people’s exposure to violent online content.
For Zamboanga’s school community, the Aug. 18 shooting has already left an irreversible loss.
The investigation may now be over. The harder task is ensuring that the failures identified in its aftermath are not repeated in another school, another family or another community.
