Philippines temporarily blocks gaming app used by suspect in deadly school shooting

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities announced Tuesday they will temporarily block a popular gaming app after one of the suspects in a deadly school shooting was identified as an avid user, pending an assessment of the platform’s possible role in fostering violence.

Three students were killed and twenty others wounded when two juveniles, aged 14 and 15 and each armed with a handgun, opened fire Monday at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said its decision to block the app “Gorebox” follows an ongoing police investigation that revealed one suspect regularly used the platform. The block will enable authorities to determine whether the platform contributed to the suspects’ actions.

The ban will be enforced starting Tuesday, Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso of the cybercrime center said in a statement.

“We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident,” Paraiso said, noting that the duration of the block has not been specified.

The app, launched in 2023, is marketed as “a physics‑driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction,” according to the center.

Paraiso did not specify what actions might follow if a government evaluation concludes that the app promotes violence among users.

“Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” Paraiso added. “Our priority is the safety and well‑being of Filipino children exposed to the internet.”

Firearms‑related crimes are common in the Philippines, partly because of widespread unlicensed guns, but school shootings remain relatively rare.

Regional police chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said the suspects told investigators they carried out the attack to retaliate for being bullied in school. However, police officials said a comprehensive investigation ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will examine all possibilities, including witness statements, forensic evidence, and the possible influence of online groups that promote rebellion and violent behavior among youth.

One suspect obtained a 9 mm pistol from his aunt, a police officer who is under investigation. The other suspect secured a .38‑caliber revolver from an employee of a security agency. Police said the weapons were brought onto the campus because the school’s security measures were insufficient for its 1,600 students.

A video of the attack posted online shows students hiding under desks in a locked classroom, screaming and weeping as gunshots echo outside. Some of them were heard calling their mothers.

All victims were students, police said, adding that investigators recovered at least 40 shell casings at the scene.

The suspects were to be handed over to government welfare officers after the investigation due to their age.

The 14‑year‑old would be exempt from criminal prosecution under a 2006 Philippine law that sets the minimum criminal liability age at 15, provided authorities determine that the suspect was clearly aware of the crime and its consequences.

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