Philippines bans video game played by alleged high school shooter
The Philippines has temporarily blocked gaming app Gorebox after an initial investigation found that a teenage suspect in a rare school shooting had been playing the game.
Three students were killed and 20 others wounded after two suspects - aged 15 and 14 - allegedly fired handguns inside a classroom in Tacloban, south-east of Manila, on Monday.
Police said the 14-year-old was a player of Gorebox, a game where players can "obliterate anything [they] desire" and "engage in brutal combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons and explosives", according to its Google Play listing.
"We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident," the country's cyber-security agency said.
"Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment into whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects," said Aboy Paraiso, an undersecretary at the Cybercrime Investigation and Co-ordinating Centre.
BBC News has contacted Gorebox's maker, Germany's F2Games, for comment. Scientific studies have not found a direct link between video games and violent behaviour.
Gorebox is a first-person shooter video game that can be played as solo or online multiplayer. The International Age Rating Coalition gave it an R18 rating due to extremely violent, explicit, and unrestrictive gameplay.
Mass shootings are rare in the Philippines, though gun-related crimes are not uncommon and the most sensational cases are staples of early evening newscasts.
What was unusual this time round was that the suspects were minors.
Akbayan party-list congressman Chel Diokno called for stiffer penalties for those who allow minors access to firearms.
The worst mass shooting in recent Philippine history happened in November 2009, when a town mayor in the southern province of Maguindanao shot dead 58 people, mostly journalists, who were travelling with the convoy of a political rival.
Late on Tuesday, police filed murder charges against the 15-year-old suspect.
The 14-year-old suspect who allegedly played Gorebox is too young to be charged under Philippine law.
He appeared to have been "heavily influenced" by online content, said Allan Rae Co, spokesman of the Philippine National Police.
The boy had also been posting violent content online, he added.
Police said the 9mm pistol the 14-year-old is alleged to have fired belonged to his aunt, a policewoman who was suspended from duty after the shooting. The 15-year-old's .38 was registered to his grandfather's security agency.
According to the preliminary investigation, the suspects claimed they were bullied in school.
Before Monday's shooting at the San Jose National High School, Co said the two boys had holed themselves up in the bathroom.
"All indications point to the fact that it was planned," Co said.
In response to the Tacloban shooting, Philippine senators will continue a previous investigation into the effects of violence in online platforms on children.
Sen Risa Hontiveros said platforms had become "nests for brainwashing and radicalising our youth".
"If the internet is being used to victimise children, we will not wait for the next victim before we act."
Joy Belmonte, mayor of densely populated Quezon City, said a review of security protocols was needed.
In Tacloban, "some were shocked, some were shouting, running. We need to have drills and simulations so that children will know what to do," she told reporters.
Education minister Sonny Angara said the government was "very concerned", adding: "We don't want a situation seen in the United States, where there have been concerns about copycat incidents."
Read the full story at BBC ↗
On Monday, two teenagers aged 14 and 15 allegedly fired handguns inside a classroom at San Jose National High School in Tacloban, killing three students and wounding twenty others. Police identified that the 14-year-old had been playing Gorebox, a violent first-person shooter game with an R18 rating. In response, the Philippines' cyber-security agency temporarily blocked the app to investigate whether online content influenced the incident. The 15-year-old suspect has been charged with murder; the 14-year-old cannot be charged under Philippine law. Both suspects obtained firearms from family members and had reportedly been posting violent content online. They claimed they were bullied at school. Authorities are investigating planning indicators and online influences. The incident has prompted government officials to review school security protocols and continue investigations into the effects of violent online platforms on children. Mass shootings remain rare in the Philippines, though this case is unusual for involving minor suspects.
Read the full story at BBC ↗
The Philippines has temporarily blocked gaming app Gorebox after an initial investigation found that a teenage suspect in a rare school shooting had been playing the game.
Three students were killed and 20 others wounded after two suspects - aged 15 and 14 - allegedly fired handguns inside a classroom in Tacloban, south-east of Manila, on Monday.
Police said the 14-year-old was a player of Gorebox, a game where players can "obliterate anything [they] desire" and "engage in brutal combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons and explosives", according to its Google Play listing.
"We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident," the country's cyber-security agency said.
"Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment into whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects," said Aboy Paraiso, an undersecretary at the Cybercrime Investigation and Co-ordinating Centre.
BBC News has contacted Gorebox's maker, Germany's F2Games, for comment. Scientific studies have not found a direct link between video games and violent behaviour.
Gorebox is a first-person shooter video game that can be played as solo or online multiplayer. The International Age Rating Coalition gave it an R18 rating due to extremely violent, explicit, and unrestrictive gameplay.
Mass shootings are rare in the Philippines, though gun-related crimes are not uncommon and the most sensational cases are staples of early evening newscasts.
What was unusual this time round was that the suspects were minors.
Akbayan party-list congressman Chel Diokno called for stiffer penalties for those who allow minors access to firearms.
The worst mass shooting in recent Philippine history happened in November 2009, when a town mayor in the southern province of Maguindanao shot dead 58 people, mostly journalists, who were travelling with the convoy of a political rival.
Late on Tuesday, police filed murder charges against the 15-year-old suspect.
The 14-year-old suspect who allegedly played Gorebox is too young to be charged under Philippine law.
He appeared to have been "heavily influenced" by online content, said Allan Rae Co, spokesman of the Philippine National Police.
The boy had also been posting violent content online, he added.
Police said the 9mm pistol the 14-year-old is alleged to have fired belonged to his aunt, a policewoman who was suspended from duty after the shooting. The 15-year-old's .38 was registered to his grandfather's security agency.
According to the preliminary investigation, the suspects claimed they were bullied in school.
Before Monday's shooting at the San Jose National High School, Co said the two boys had holed themselves up in the bathroom.
"All indications point to the fact that it was planned," Co said.
In response to the Tacloban shooting, Philippine senators will continue a previous investigation into the effects of violence in online platforms on children.
Sen Risa Hontiveros said platforms had become "nests for brainwashing and radicalising our youth".
"If the internet is being used to victimise children, we will not wait for the next victim before we act."
Joy Belmonte, mayor of densely populated Quezon City, said a review of security protocols was needed.
In Tacloban, "some were shocked, some were shouting, running. We need to have drills and simulations so that children will know what to do," she told reporters.
Education minister Sonny Angara said the government was "very concerned", adding: "We don't want a situation seen in the United States, where there have been concerns about copycat incidents."
Read the full story at BBC ↗
Two suspects aged 15 and 14 allegedly fired handguns inside a classroom at San Jose National High School in Tacloban on Monday Three students were killed and 20 others wounded in the shooting The 14-year-old suspect was identified as a player of Gorebox, a first-person shooter game rated R18 for extremely violent and explicit gameplay The Philippines' Cybercrime Investigation and Co-ordinating Centre temporarily blocked the app to assess whether it played a role in the suspects' actions We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident The 15-year-old suspect was charged with murder; the 14-year-old is below the age of criminal responsibility under Philippine law The 14-year-old appeared to have been heavily influenced by online content and had been posting violent content online, according to police Both suspects obtained firearms from family members: a 9mm pistol from an aunt who is a policewoman, and a .38 from a grandfather's security agency The suspects claimed they were bullied at school Police said all indications point to the shooting being planned Scientific studies have not found a direct link between video games and violent behaviour Mass shootings are rare in the Philippines, though this case is unusual for involving minor suspects
Read the full story at BBC ↗
- Two minors aged 14 and 15 allegedly opened fire at a high school in Tacloban, Philippines on Monday, killing 3 students and wounding 20 others
- The 14-year-old suspect was found to play Gorebox, a violent first-person shooter game rated R18, prompting the Philippines to temporarily block the app
- Authorities are investigating potential online influences on the suspects; the 14-year-old is below the age of criminal responsibility while the 15-year-old has been charged with murder
- Both suspects allegedly obtained firearms from family members (an aunt who is a policewoman, and a grandfather's security agency); they claimed to have been bullied